Shadow Games
by Sui Megami
Summary: Atem is back in their midst, but he's brought trouble. With Atem's failing heart, the others must take up more pressing roles. How long can they stand the pressure of being in Atem's shoes? Chapter Seven up!
1. Prologue: Crossing the Bridge

Kitty-chan: OMG! It's been so long since I updated! x.x Gosh darnit... I'm lazy... sorry! Well, this is a Yuigioh idea that has been swimming in my brain for quite a while, and though _A Clash of Desires_ was actually first in line to be written and posted, this story wouldn't leave me alone. not to mention that I have the plot all figured out on this one, and the plot for _A Clash of Desires_ has several holes that I am stumped on. This one was done and ready to be typed, so I thought 'what the heck? I'll post it!' So... I did! Welcome to _Shadow Games_! I know the title sounds lame and overused, but the story is actually named after a song on the Yugioh movie soundtrack (coincidentally called _Shadow Games_ -.-;;). That song will be featured in a later chapter. I'm not too sure if the lyrics of _Blind Ambition_ will be featured in the story, but that song also inspired a mini plot within this story, so I thought I'd give it credit. Anyway, enough with this rambling!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters associated with the anime. I do own the plot and the characters known as the sanoni. Enjoy! Oh! And for those of you who are not familiar with the Japanese names, I will post the names that diffe between the two versions at the top of each chapter. Specifically for this chapter, the beginning is to be a section of the manga called "The Ceremonial Battle". The lines that I wrote are similar to the ones that are in the manga, but they are changed just a little bit to allow for internal discussion on the characters. The dialogue is therefore slightly different. I basically included the important lines that the manga had in it, then added my own, similar, but not the same. So you fanatics who are obsessed with things being exact, I apologize. ;

**Name Translations  
**Mazaki Anzu: Tea Gardener  
Kaksyuta(sp?) Jonouchi: Joey Wheeler  
Hiroto Honda: Tristan Taylor  
Isis: Ishizu (The Japanese pronuciation of Isis is Ishizu, but for those of you who are confused. XD)

The things with a (#) next to it is translated at the end of the chapter.

* * *

He watched as his partner collapsed to the ground, silent sobs shaking his body. He stared straight ahead as his monster vanished, his mind fully accepting what had happened, but taking a moment to allow it to make peace with recent happenings. After that moment, his amber eyes drew downward, toward his crying partner, sympathy shining in his eyes. Tears threatened to come to his as well, but he held them back. If there was any time he needed to be strong for his partner, it was now. 

There was silence in the area, though there were quite a few people occupying the cold, dark, underground cave. The group off to the side of the giant stone stage stood still and silent, almost in reverence for the departed. Perhaps they were indeed praying a prayer for the soul about to leave this world. But for the most part, the group seemed in awe of what they had just witnessed; a clash of two card-game titans. The clash itself was a powerful one, but the thing that made it so awesome was the fact that the two fighting it had seemed, until very recently, to be of the same mind and body. Their closest friend, the one who seemed to tie them all together, and his other soul, the dark, powerful, mysterious and confident warrior that they had become enamored with over the time they knew him. Though the two had been one in previous fights, they had separated to fight as separate entities, something that they had scarce done before.

The dark one slowly approached the young one, kneeling before him. "Why do you cry?" he inquired softly, brushing a hand to his cheek to take a few of his tears onto his finger. "You defeated me. You won the duel."

The young one shook his head, and sat back onto his knees, tears replacing those his other self had wiped away. "I may have won, but... how can I be happy? You are leaving."

The dark one felt a small stab of pain at what he could call his heart, and was tempted to put a hand to his chest. He refrained, however. Once again, he must be strong for his other soul. Usually, this was an easy task. As a soul that had lived for over three millennia, he often found human feelings and emotions difficult to grasp, and therefore, easy to mask, giving him the ability to dawn the perfect "poker face". Unless the emotion within him was powerful, he had a hard time feeling it hit him. There were long periods of time when he felt nothing. The pendant in which he dwelt was cold an empty, his voice echoing forlornly in its endless halls. His soul shivered in the emptiness, and it was at those times that he would call out to his partner, desiring to bask in the younger one's warm mind, allowing it to restore its strength, and give him comfort. It was at these times, when he simply sat and enjoyed the younger one's presence, that he was most happy. His own soul was dry and rigid from three thousand years of emotional wear and tear, but the young one's was fresh, and gave energy to him by simply being present. This feeling of happiness drove him to want to be near the young one at all times. This was easily accomplished, since his soul was sealed within the pendant, and the young one never removed it.

But that one time... that awful time... the horrid moment when the dark one's self-inflicted evil had risen, and summoned a device that lead to the separation of the two. Oh how he had suffered. His soul had wandered the halls of his intricate mind, desperately crying out for his missing half, but finding nothing. During that time of loneliness, the only comfort he could find was by wandering those halls while the body rested in sleep, finding some use for his wretched soul. Keeping himself occupied. He did not feel often, but he knew he did not want to feel that again. If only for his own protection, he promised himself he would never again let something like that happen. His obsessive protection of the young one had often been laughed off as "the big brother syndrome", but it went much deeper than the joke, and oftentimes, the dark one found himself willing to defy death, if only to keep his light safe.

The weak feeling that glowed now in his heart was strikingly familiar to the one he had felt at that time of loneliness, though not nearly as overcoming. He knew that at that moment, the young one had to be feeling the same thing. What could he say to him? It was true; he was leaving. Leaving for the embrace of death which should have been his three millennia ago. Something he had waited for for so long. Something that was welcomed, yet hesitantly. Even in death, he had been surrounded by those he came to love. Was he to give them all up again and begin anew in the world known as the afterlife? After a moment, he spoke. "That is the destiny of the one who has solved the puzzle. Perhaps the plan of the gods was to have you send me to the afterlife all along. Perhaps the one who was to solve the puzzle was also the one to free me from the confines of the Sennen Puzzle. Perhaps it was your destiny from the beginning to surpass me."

The young one looked up. "Mou hitori no boku...(1)" he whispered, the name by which he called his other self coming as the only substitute he could muster for an answer.

The dark one shook his head with false confidence. "No... I am no longer Mou hitori no boku. And you are no longer aibou...(2) You are simply Yugi. No one else." The pain came again. Denouncing those nicknames was like rejecting the whole life they had shared up until this point. Mou hitori no boku... the young one's name for him. The name he had responded to for a few years, and had grown to love. Aibou, his name for his lighter half, the name he had grown so attached to. For the word, to him, no longer meant buddy, or even partner. The word, by definition, meant the young one.

There was a long moment as the young one stared into his other's eyes, trying to comprehend if he really meant that. If their life together really was at an end. The dark one met his gaze with confidence that was not his. He didn't know where the confidence was coming from, but he had apparently found it somewhere in his theoretical box of masks that he dawned so often in battle. He couldn't back down from this. He knew that. From the moment he had accepted the challenge to battle the young one... no... from the time the young one had solved the puzzle, there was no turning back. He went down a one-way road. That was his life. Finally, in an effort to convince his other that he knew what he was doing, he stood, and removed the duel disk from his arm, allowing it to fall to the ground with a shallow clang that seemed to resonate unnaturally.

The group watched the duel disk fall. He was really doing it. He was letting go of this world, letting go first, of his desire for battle. His eyes did not meet any of theirs as he passed the group, his gaze set upon the giant tablet that stood at the other end afraid that if he did look at one of them, that pain, the feeling that ripped at what was left of his heart, would return and weaken his already feeble resolve. He could hear the thump of their footsteps as they began to follow him. Again, he did not look back, nor did he slow down. If he showed his weakness, in return they would feel unsure, and perhaps frightened. He didn't want to worry them. After all, despite all his doubts and fears, there was no challenge to the fact that this was the only path he should take. He understood that clearly. He reached the tablet and gaze up at the intricate carvings until his eye reached the large Wedjet eye at the top. He gazed into it's frozen iris and hesitated. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but to the dark one, it felt like hours. For a long second, he could not force himself to speak the name that would open the door and end his life here. So easily could he remain silent and turn back to his friends, his loved ones. But he didn't, he opened his mouth and spoke.

"My name is Atem!" he announced. The eye glowed a golden radiance that made the pit of his soul churn like millions of butterflies had been released from their binds. The tablet seemed to fall away to reveal a bright white light; the bridge to the afterlife. He merely needed to step into the light, and his life would end.

He could not move... his body was rooted to the spot. He simply stared into the doorway, the permanent scowl on his face, showing nothing, though his mind in chaos. Could he convince himself to walk through the doors. At this moment, he feared he could not. No... he had come so far, and he knew he had to do this. One whose time is over is not meant to dwell in the land of the living. He had no right among his vibrant and lively friends. Yes, he desired to stay with them, no matter how wrong it may seem, but deep down... he knew this was the only path for him. There was nothing for his soul here but withering. Slowly, his soul would be whittled away to nothing, and he would be of no use to anyone. He took a single step, and stopped.

"Wait!" he heard several voices call to him. Slowly he turned to look at his friends, his family. The young one still had cascades of tears trailing down his cheeks, and he was surprised to see that Honda also wiped tears from his eyes. Kaiba stood off to the side, his face blank, his mind not quite sure what to make of the scene, though not caring to decipher it anyway. Malik and Isis stood together, grim smiles on their faces, happy to fulfill their duty as tomb-keepers. Though they did not fully understand the grief that came to others in the room, they could sense the heavy sadness that weighed down on the occupants of the tomb. Jonouchi was fighting tears as well, his handsome countenance marred by salty water, and scrunched with the failing effort to keep from crying. Anzu was not hiding her tears, and openly sobbed, quiet, but distinguishable. Anzu had been the one to speak, and after a few quiet hiccups, continued.

"Why does it have to be this way? I don't understand this."

The dark one was tempted to turn and comfort her, but knew that if he touched her, he would not be able to force himself toward the light again, and so stood, in resolution not his own in the path of the light, praying that someone could answer her, for he did not have the strength. To his relief, someone did answer.

"It's alright." Jonouchi said, his voice cracking in grief, but his words confident and uncharacteristically wise. "It's good that there are some things in life we don't understand. If we understood everything, life would be a bore." He looked to the dark one, and held up his thumb. "Go on, Atem! Go to your new life!"

The dark one managed a smile and nodded, turning with one more glance to his other. The young one was now smiling, his tears still coming, but comfort filling his face._ Once more..._ he found himself thinking. _ Once more lend me your strength..._ He stretched out his soul, opening the connection between them one last time, as he faced the doorway and felt the younger one's warmth bathe him. It gave him power and strength, allowing him to take another step. In a last effort to prove to them and to himself that he was firm in his decision, he slowly raised his right hand to the side, sticking his thumb up. He continued on, each step killing off a piece of his heart until he felt the cold rush of something that can be described as wind blow away his modern clothes and replaced them with his garb of his true life; the garb of the Pharaoh of Egypt. Anzu took a few longing steps foreward, almost as if she could stop him, but she was halted by Jonouchi, as he put a hand on her shoulder. He said nothing. She already knew why he did so. She didn't need to be told that there was nothing she could do to stop him. He was to choose his own path, and this was the only one for him.

The door began to lumber shut, and the young one took one last glance at his retreating back as those of his past appeared to meet him at the bridge. The pang in his heart had dwindled from the reassurance he recieved from both his other and Jonouchi, but their words did nothing to change the fact that he was gone... Atem was gone. His mind felt oddly spacious, for there was a section of it that was gone and would not return. The hole in his mind that had opened up to allow the soul of his other entry was now empty, and after having it for so long, he was at a loss as to what was there in the first place.

A rumbling forced their attention upwards, and the group found their stomachs churning. The tablet seemed to be collapsing and falling apart from the top down. The eerie quality of the crumbling caused everyone to pause before they ran. It did not come undone at the bottom, and the rest of it, without base, would follow. No, rather it collapsed from the top, the very top of the tablet crumbling, and the cracks winding their destructive way down to the floor, where the Sennen items were set. The young one took a longing glance at his puzzle before he turned and ran, his eyes held over his shoulder at intervals, as if to check on the tablet's progress of destroying itself. Amidst the thick dust and rumbling rock, Yugi could see a cloaked white figure staring out at him with pupilless blue eyes. _Shadi..._ The look in his eyes offered him no comfort. Shadi's eyes were blank and cold as the stone, which collapsed around him. The group made it out to the surface, grabbing at hearts, and wiping sweat from brows. The unified gaze seemed to be held tightly to the doorway to the stairway leading to the cave as it, too, collapsed, crushing the option of reentry.

_Good-bye... Atem._ Yugi felt tears flow down his dusty face again as the group, without a word spoken, headed back to Malik and Isis' home.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

Atem stood at the doorway, as his amber eyes seemed to adjust to the light. His golden-decorated hand, reached up to shield his eyes. He was a creature of darkness. Being in this light didn't seem to suit him suddenly. Thoughts of his friends momentarily and miraculously banished, he looked ahead to see a group of people waiting for him. A young brown-haired girl bounced on the balls of her feet, smiling widely as he neared, and beside her a young man with straight brown locks smiled warmly at him. Her arm in the air, the girl darted foreward, and the man soon followed, trotting gracefully behind her. Following behind him was a man with a striking resemblance to Kaiba began making his way over, his long white cape billowing behind him, and his golden Sennen item waving at his side. After these three went, the group seemed to all move at once to greet him. There was a short old man waddling behind the other four priests, and behind them all was a great towering figure, his eyes thin and perpetually solemn, though his mind leaped in joy.

Atem stood in stupid surprise as the girl wrapped her arms around him, and nearly succeeded in lifting him off the seemingly invisible ground. After a moment he smiled and attempted to wrap her in a returned embrace. "Mana." He chuckled. Oddly, she said nothing. Her eyes spoke worlds as she released him so he could see them. She folded her hands to her chest and nodded. Atem then turned to the brown-haired young man. "Mahado." Mahado bowed, but Atem quickly moved foreward to grab him in a hug. Here, he felt no desire to be recognized as a ruler. They had all been equalized in the embrace of death. Death had embraced each of them the same way, no matter what the method, they were all in the same place. Mahado hesitated before returning the embrace. The greetings to the other four priests were brief, but filled with happiness held back for so long in their wait for his crossing. Finally, he got to the back of the crowd to meet with the great and powerful figure of the former Pharaoh. Atem stood in frozen awe. Through the scarce memories he had regained through his trip to the past, he knew his father's face, but meeting him in person was something he did not remember doing. For a moment, he did not know what to do. After all, he was royalty who had forgotten the customs. How did a child of the Pharaoh greet his father? He had seen Yugi greet his Jii-chan many times with an embrace, but somehow, that didn't quite seem fitting. Though it seemed more fitting than a handshake. Slowly, almost cautiously, he stepped foreward, and wrapped his arms around his father's middle. There was an awkward pause where Atem feared that prehaps he had not done the right thing. But he felt his nerves calm as his father's strong arms, those familiar arms, come across his back and tighten in a hug. Atem smiled. He felt... happy. He couldn't explain how he had come from his friends and felt this happy, but he had. His happiness suddenly began to ebb.

His friends... would he see them again in the afterlife? He shook the thoughts from his mind, tucking them loosely away for a few moments. He broke the embrace with his father, and looked around at his former family, smiling. There was a tense second before the group broke into cheering, chanting and yelling praises to the gods in Egyptian as the celebrated the long-awaited arrival of the infamous Pharaoh. The Pharaoh looked around at his past family, and his heart sunk. What about the family he had just left behind? Somehow, the pocket the thoughts had been tucked into suddenly broke, and his thoughts were consumed with them.

Akunahnkanen waved his arm and began to slowly walk away. "Come! The afterlife waits, my son!" The group began to follow, still muttering in Egyptian and chattering excitedly, but Atem stood in place. His eyes stared sadly at the bright floor, his mind wandering about. The King seemed to notice his son's hesitance and stopped the group to look back at him. "What is wrong, my son?"

Atem looked up to see the whole group staring expectantly at him. He blushed and shook his head. "Uhh... nothing." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. The father smiled.

"Come, then!" The group nodded and a few resumed their excited chatter while others stared at Atem.

Atem couldn't stop thinking about the group he had left. Sure, the shadow realm and the monsters within it had been sealed for another while, but how long would that last? The realm could, and probably would, reawaken... they could be in danger. Ever so slowly, he turned his body, and he could hear their chatter turn suddenly to screams of panic and yells of warning. Atem ignored them. He knew that they were probably yelling at him, though with such intensity, he had no idea why. Finally, to more and loder screams of protest, Atem turned his body.

He looked back...

... and his heart ripped itself apart.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

"Shadi..." a quiet voice penetrated the shadows, echoing faintly. "Shadi..." the voice repeated with more force. Weather the owner of the name was ignoring her or simply not hearing her, she had no idea, but her frustration rising, she decided she didn't care. "Shadi!"

The Egyptian man gave a small jump and a squeak of surprise. He turned to look at her. "Mana... what are you doing here?" he inquired nervously.

Mana tossed her hip and sighed. "Don't play me for a fool, Shadi. Do you honestly expect me to believe you don't sense the problem?"

Shadi gave a defeated sigh. This is what he had feared. For now that she knew, it was assured that the King knew, and there would be no escape from his wrath at the disgrace. He not only feared for himself, but he also feared for the criminal. "I do sense the problem, Mana. I know the bridge has been crossed... in the wrong direction."

Mana paused as Shadi fell silent. She could understand his grief on the topic, and to be honest, he own heart ached at recent happenings. I wasn't really all that unexpected, to be honest. With the happenings at the bridge four years ago, the group had quietly been expecting this to happen sooner or later. But either way, she wanted to get this out of the way quickly. She had only found out about the event recently, and if they could work it out before the news given to the King turned from rumor to fact, perhaps the criminal would be spared. Perhaps. After a moment, she let out an indignant, "Well? Are you gonna warn the young Oji(3) about it?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "You're the only one who can since your soul is interwoven in the Shadow Realm as it is." It was true. Though the others, too, resided in the Shadow realm, their residence was simply a form of loose imprisonment for their association with the Sennen items. They could not move about with freedom such as was granted to Shadi.

Shadi crossed his arms. "You say that as if I can just walk up to him and discuss the matter. Do you have any idea how difficult it will be to warn him of this?" Though he was as desperate as she to get the matter resolved, perhaps he found it annoying that the young girl was giving him orders.

Mana waved her hand. "It doesn't matter. You need to tell him." She paused guiltily, the look in her eyes saying "don't kill the messenger". "And that's not all you need to tell him."

Shadi rubbed his temples. "Now what?"

"The sanoni are loose." A male voice cut off the words that were about to issue from Mana's throat. A body appeared to match it soon, amber eyes glaring furiously down at the two.

Shadi bowed low, and Mana followed suit. "Akunahnkanen..." he breathed. He paused mid-bow and straightened as he registered the man's words. "Wait! How in the name of Ra did the Sanoni get loose!"

"You know as well as I that once my son's soul moved on, the seals he had on them would weaken. They've finally broken them completely." The past Lord answered.

Shadi cringed, but his mind was working. _Well, yeah they would weaken, but how does that help the sanoni? The seals were made to remain active even after the great Pharaoh's death. Even if they did weaken, they still shouldn't have had the power to break out. They were weakened too much. And last time I checked those seals, they were fine. What the hell is going on?_ He kept his thoughts to himself and spoke quietly, afraid that the King would loose his anger on him. "When did they get loose?"

"Around the same time that the bridge was crossed." Mana answered, waving her arms in exasperation.

"I see." Shadi sighed and looked to Akunahnkanen. He seemed to be taking the news a lot better than Shadi could've imagined. It seemed likely that the King would be furious with the crossing of the bridge, but to also hear that the sanoni were out would usually enrage him to the point of doing harm to Shadi's already dead soul. But the Pharoah remained calm, barely raising his voice. He was calm and levelheaded, uncharacteristic of the Pharaoh in a situation like this. It made Shadi wary. But, he pressed on, deciding that it was best not to question his reaction. He should consider himself lucky. After all, if the Pharaoh decided not to hurt him on an occasion that he usually would, who was he to change that decision? "So... I have to go and warn the young Oji-tachi(4) about it then?"

"Dei." Akunahnkanen nodded. The word was alien, yet familiar to Shadi. It was a Greek word that the Pharaoh had picked up on one of his trips and had simply taken a liking to. The three-letter word meant 'it is necissary'. This seemed to be something that had come into play throughout his rule. Doing things that were necessary, though seemed painful. His unknowing slaughter of the village of Cal Elna. His trip into the tombs with his son to ask the spirits to spare the boy. His creation of the Sennen items.

Shadi nodded. "Then I shall return when it is done. It could take a few days. I can only return to one spot at this point, and I have to somehow lead Oji-tachi to that spot." Shadi spoke over his shoulder, giving a suspicious glance at the King. He certainly had been acting odd since the idea of his son moving into the afterlife had been brought up. His return to the afterlife had been foretold of several weeks before the ceremonial battle had begun, and since then, the King had changed from who he was in the land of the living. He had become rageful and easily angered. Beating Shadi had been something never thought of before, but now the King seemed to resort to that option quite often. No one really questioned it, however. A lot of things could potentially happen to one whose spirit had been trapped in the shadow realm for over three millennia. Perhaps his aggression was simply a side-effect of the realm. And taking out his frustration on Shadi made sense in that light. After all, Shadi had freedom of movement that the others could only dream about. The King was at the mercy of the Shadow Realm's torture, while Shadi remained impervious. Perhaps he resented him for having freedom that was denied him? It didn't really matter at this point, though it did deserve later investigation. He had a task before him now. An important one. As he vanished into the living world, he heard Akunahnkanen speak once more. "Do whatever it takes Shadi."

* * *

Kitty-chan: Well... that took long enough. Whew! Well, what do you think? Review and tell me! Flames accepted. Here are the translations:

1: Mou hitori no boku- My other soul (Literally "another person of me"); the manga translates this, for the most part, as "another I", but my other soul is more grammatically correct. XD Yugi calls Yami this throughout the Japanese anime.

2: aibou- buddy, partner ; Yami calls Yugi this throughout the Japanese anime

3: Oji- Prince; this refers to Yugi. Mana and most of the others call Yugi Oji or young Oji because he looks like Yami.

4: Oji-tachi: this refers to Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu and Yugi. -tachi makes Oji plural. It literally means "Prince and everyone who is with him"

Alright! Chapter one is officially complete! Dunno when the next chapter will be up is. I need to find a stopping point in what I wrote. Shouldn't take much time, though.Should be up soon. I know I've said that before. -.-;;; I'm so laxy. x.x. Well, here's a preview of the next chapter:

"Well, everything is dark, and I'm just standing there. Then... Shadi appears."

* * *

"Yugi... Atem died almost four years ago."

* * *

"What happened exactly? How did this guy get past Kaiba Corp. security?"

* * *

"Little Motou Yugi. World's top duelist, and former host of a dead Pharaoh. You're quite the guy." He licked his lips and Yugi shivered. "Just imagine what the Pharaoh would do to save his former host."

* * *

Stay tuned for Chapter Two: _Yomichi_...  



	2. Yomichi! Dark Ambassador!

Kitty-chan: Duuuude... been so long since I updated anythingon here. Even longer since I updated this story. Anyway... here's the second chapter, hope you likee, and there's more going on than in the first chapter. The prologue was kinda the setting, but anyway...

Once again, I do not own any of the Yugi-Oh characters. They are property of 4Kids and stuff. But... I do own the plot. XD

Here are the name translations between the Japanese and the English version:

**Name Translations  
**Mazaki Anzu: Tea Gardener  
Katsuya Jonouchi: Joey Wheeler  
Hiroto Honda: Tristan Taylor

Stuff with (#) next to it is translated at the end of the chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

A bell rang. The school grounds were immediately flooded with blue and pink suits, the students hurrying away from school and back home.

"Ugh... that day lasted forever! I didn't think it was ever gonna end!" A tall blonde cried out loud enough for most of the school body to hear. Of course, considering who it was coming from he was generally ignored as outbursts of the like were not uncommon from him.

"Calm down, Jonouchi-kun (1)." Yugi consoled, waving his hands.

"Yeah..." Honda moaned, sticking his pinki in his ear and wiggling it slightly. "You'll blow my ears out."

Jonouchi blithely slung his coat and bag over his shoulder. "But seriously... that day took forever!"

"I assure you, it was no longer than any other day." Anzu growled, her mind once again tracing along the lines of "I need some female friends".

Honda raised an eyebrow at his childhood friend. "Could it be the day seemed long since you were worrying someone might find out you're out of dress-code?"

Jonouchi smiled and draped an arm over Honda's shoulders. "Nah... I was worried about it all this morning, but Michina-sensei (2) didn't say anything about it in homeroom when they checked, so I relaxed after that."

Yugi smiled. "You're lucky your a senior, Jonouchi-kun, or you would've landed in detention. You're supposed to wear a _white_ shirt."

Though the idea that they were all now seniors really had very litle to do with the regulations of dress enforced by the school, it almost seemed to be a rule that whenever the fact that they were in their last year of high school could be brought up, it most certainly would be. Though nearly four years had passed since they had closed the chapter of the supernatural in their lives, not much had changed in the small group. Jonouchi and Honda seemed to have been left behind by time as their look and height seemed to have stayed the same, though their build had sharpened with their "obligation" to join the school wrestling team which included many hours in the gym. Yugi, more interested in gaming than wrestling was not obligated so to join such a sport, so his build had mostly stayed the same, thin and wiry. But out of the four, he had most likely changed the most. Not only had his height at least caught up with Anzu, but his style of dress when not on school grounds seemed to have run along the lines of what his darker alter ego used to wear. Leather was commonly worn, but he was never into the constricting leather, more a baggy type worn simply for the shiney look of the material. His hair remained as uncontrolled as ever, standing up in all directions behind his head, golden locks shooting through the hair in the back and framing his pale face. His eyes remained their soft violet, but had a maturity to them that had come from separating from his one and only confidant. His voice had matured as well, reminding them heavily of the deep voice that had always accompanied the darker half of his soul.

Though nearly four years had passed, the group still found themselves reminiscing like children at the many adventures they had gone on together. Their trip to America, their trip to India, and especially their trip to Egypt. The countless times they found themselves relying on nothing more than a card game to bail them out of danger. The card game itself certainly remained popular as ever, Yugi holding tenaciously to the title of King, if only to remined those who knew him of the departed Pharaoh's escapades. Kaiba, of course had long since gotten used to the idea of second best and his vigor for coming after the title had dulled quite a bit. But it was by no means gone. Every chance they got, they would face each other in a duel, though at this point it had evolved more to a friendly rivalry than anything else. After all, the events that had riddled the last few days of Atem's existance certinly had softened up Kaiba's firm disbelief. Though words of faith would never come from his lips. Oh no. Certainly he would not stoop to admitting them himself, but Yugi knew all the same. He had known Kaiba long enough now to understand his thoughts as well as he understood those of Jonouchi or Honda.

Nevertheless, Kaiba's primary attntion was on his company, keeping it going with the latest and greatest inventions for dueling purposes. One invention that certainly had everyone talking was a special type of dueling robot hand-crafted by Kaiba. Though it was still in the prototype stage, this robot was said to be able to take the form of any monster played. But the issue of multiple monsters in a duel was holding the company back from releasing it. It certainly kept things interesting with Kaiba's erratically inventive mind throwing ideas out every year or so.

Jonouchi unziped his blue jacket, showing off his green shirt as if it were some kind of trophy. Yugi chuckled. "That shirt doesn't even go with that outfit."

Jonouchi wagged a finger at him. "It's all for the thrill! Nevermind if the shirt actually makes any sense to be worn."

Honda sighed. "You're still hopeless as ever." He straightened and chuckled. "But you have to admit. Dress-code's a chore. Afer four years of this, they can't blame us for wanting to bend the rules a little."

"Dress-code is annoying sometimes." Anzu agreed quietly.

"Careful, Anzu... you'll be poisoned by the two over there." Yugi warned.

"Nice, Yugi." Jonouchi growled.

Anzu let out a chuckle. "Sorry. But I do remember a dream I had where the school let us wear whatever we wanted to school."

"Really? That would be awesome!" Honda cried, clenching his fist.

"Easily excited, are we?" Yugi muttered. This earned him a cock of the head from Honda and Jonouchi both. "What was it like?"

Anzu blushed. "Well... it wasn't really all that accurate, but Jonouchi and Honda dressed as... goths."

Jonouchi snorted in his attempt to hold back his laughter. Honda just stared.

"What about me?" Yugi inquired, pointing at himself.

Anzu blushed again. "You... still wore your school uniform."

Yugi sighed. "I'm never gonna live that down, am I?"

Jonouchi placed his hands on his hips as the group turned down the road toward Yugi's house. "Dude... save for the first few fights... you defeated the Orichalcos... in your school clothes!"

"Like I said... never gonna live it down." Yugi placed and hand over his face.

"What about you, Anzu. What'd you wear?" Honda pushed.

Anzu's face turned red and she shook her head. "Nothing special."

Yugi crossed his arms. "Come on, you've embarrased us, might as well finish the job."

Anzu gave him an odd look, but then sighed. "I dressed as a ballerina."

There was silence for a long moment, then Jonouchi snorted again followed closely by Honda who both dissolved into giggles. Anzu turned away, her arms crossed. "It's not that funny."

Yugi couldn't help but laugh quietly as well. "Well... Anzu... we know you like the dance, but wearing an outfit to school kinda crosses the line into funny."

Anzu stopped walking, her face still red as a tomato. "I told you it wasn't accurate!"

Jonouchi and Honda stopped laughing almost immediately. "I'll say it wasn't." Jonouchi muttered. "If anything, the one dressing like a goth would be Yugi. Ever since he inherited Atem's sense of style, he's taken a liking to black."

"Ha ha... very funny." Yugi muttered, crossing his arms as well. As they neared his house, Yugi spoke again. "Hey guys... speaking of dreams, I've been having an interesting one the past few nights."

"Really?" Honda inquired, sensing the odd tone in his voice. "Tell us about it."

Yugi smiled. "I'll wait until we get inside."

They approached the small house and Yugi immediately opened the door. "I'm home, Jii-chan (3)!"

There was a distracted welcome home from the back and Yugi chuckled, setting his bag down and heading up the stairs. It was not the same house he and his grandfather had lived in four years ago, however. This house had been bought a little over a year earlier, as Yugi's grandfather retired and sold the game shop to another, one Tashi Kairi, an older woman who had watched Yugi when he was young, and who had turned the game shop into a small pottery shop. This house was about the same size as the game shop, a family room, dining room and a small kitchen on the first floor, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the second floor. Yugi and his friends now headed up the stairs and into the extra bedroom, which had been converted into more than just a bedroom. It was furnished with a small entertainment center, a sofa, two beds, and a stereo off to the side. The group side-stepped the couch and plopped down to sit on the floor, forming a small circle amongst them.

"So, Yugi... tell us about this dream of yours." Jonouchi pushed.

"There's not all that much to tell, but... I've had it so many nights in a row, I'm starting to think there's something odd going on." He sighed. "Well... everything is dark, and I'm just standing there. Then... Shadi appears."

"Shadi?" Honda repeated. "That's the guy that helped us find the Pharaoh's memory world, isn't he?"

Yugi nodded. "I don't know what's going on, but once he's there, he speaks to me, but I can never understand what he's saying. It's slowly getting clearer over the time that's passing, but I still haven't made out much of what he's said. But I did understand one word he said." He paused and gave them all a hard stare. "Atem."

There was an uncomfortable pause that followed. Yugi looked down, a sadness in his eyes that they knew all too well. It had been nearly four years since Yugi had defeated Atem in the Ceremonial battle and the infamous Pharaoh had passed on to the next life. His exit had left a curious hole in each of their hearts. Yugi had been the only one to know the Pharaoh well, and even he had just begun to truly understand the ancient King as he departed. With his past and his very name just recently revealed, they were forced to let go of him, and the pain from that departure ran deep, as if it had been Yugi himself that had left. An odd presence that helped shape Yugi into who they knew him as was suddenly gone, and Yugi not only felt oddly empty in his own mind, but he found that he perceived himself not quite ready to separate from him, even though he had proven he was. Perhaps it was the suddeness of the departure that caused it. One moment Atem was there, sharing his every thought, and the next moment... he wasn't, lost forever into the realm of shadows.

For Anzu, however, the emptiness that plagued them was slightly different. Ever since their discovery of his existance, she had been utterly smitten with the ancient spirit. She wasn't sure what drew her to him, but it was strong. Perhaps it was his confidence, and his power that made her feel safe and in turn made her pulse rush when he was near. She rarely got to know him outside battle, so there was truly no way to know if he reciprocated her feelings, and perhaps that unknown answer was what made the hole in her heart all the worse. At times when Yugi and Kaiba would face off, she found herself wishing it was Atem that called the challenge, and not Yugi, if only to hear his voice again. After all, she had fallen in love with his voice long before he fell in love with his face.

"Yugi... Atem died almost four years ago." Honda reminded him gently.

"I know that..." Yugi insisted. "It's just... I can't help but hope... I know it's selfish of me."

Jonouchi set a hand on his younger friend's head. "Don't sweat it, Yugi. It's only natural you want to believe there's a way for him to come back. He was like your brother, wasn't he?"

"Yeah." Yugi chuckled weakly. "My overprotective big brother."

"He was a little overprotective at times, wasn't he?" Anzu giggled.

"At times. Like in the duel with Pegasus." Jonouchi recalled, leaning back onto his hands. "He went all out to save you from the Shadow realm Pegasus set up."

"No kidding. Course, I overdid that one. I knew staying in the shadow realm was too much for my soul to handle, but I wouldn't let him talk me out of it." Yugi admitted, blushing slightly. "In the end, I couldn't retreat back into the puzzle fast enough to save myself."

"He was always bailing us out of trouble, wasn't he?" Honda smiled. "Like when Bakura put us all into our favorite monsters and Atem had to be the one dueling."

"That was an interesting day. That was the day we first realized that Yugi wasn't just Yugi. There was another one." Anzu reminded them.

Jonouchi gave a laugh. "I never got to ask him what he thought of being called "big Yugi"."

Yugi smiled. "He never really minded it. In fact, for a long time, I really think he thought he was me."

"What?" Jonouchi gave him a look.

"Well... for the first few years after I solved the Sennen puzzle (4), there really was no difference between us. And due to the fact that he had no memory of his life, he had no identity. I think he took on my identity to fill that question." Yugi put a hand to his chest. "That time when I fought Kaiba, and Atem was willing to go through with an attack that could've killed Kaiba, part of the reason I was so scared was because I felt his fear as well. It was the first time his desires and my desires had conflicted. That forced him to realize that we were not the same person. He got very scared and for a while, I was afraid of him as well. Later on, I realized the reason he was so scared was because the only identity he had had been pulled away, revealing again that he didn't have any idea who he was."

"Whoa... that's pretty harsh. No wonder you were so down." Honda muttered. "But you two recovered pretty quickly."

"I suppose. In the duel with Mai, I was holding him back the entire time. He seemed to go back to assuming my identity, knowing that for now we just had to save Jii-chan. I think him pressing on like that helped me trust him again. Not only that, but I respected him for dealing with things so quickly and getting to the problem at hand. And now that I think about it, I feel kinda bad for making him wait so long to find out who he was. We didn't find out the truth about him until he went out with you, Anzu. And even then we only got a glimpse. He still had to wait until after Battle City, the Orichalcos mess, and then after the KC Grand Pri to find out who he truly was." Yugi sighed.

"Yugi, don't beat yourself up about that. It gave you both time to learn from each other, which was vital to setting his spirit free. If you hadn't been through all that, I doubt you would've been able to beat him." Anzu admitted.

"I suppose." He sighed. "But it also gave me plenty of time to get attached. We shared everything including a body and mind. It just seems... empty without him. And even to this day it feels odd not to have the Sennen puzzle around my neck."

Jonouchi smiled. "I think that's because of what was in the puzzle."

Yugi nodded. "But... what happened was for the best, so no point regretting it now."

Jonouchi sighed. _But you do regret it just a little, don't you?_ There was a knowing look in his eyes, one he seemed to have picked up from Atem. One of the many things he left behind.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yugi glanced around, finding himself in complete darkness. _Here we go again._ He groaned. There was nothing around him, and there didn't even seem to be anything above or below him. It was as if his body was putting out light of its own, allowing him to see himself, but nothing around him. He looked straight ahead, anticipating the next ocurrance, and within moments, his suspicion came true. Shadi's white cloak was seen, and soon after, his dark face.

_Young Oji..._ He bowed deeply.

Yugi stepped foreward, a smile gracing his features. _Wait... I can understand you!_

_Yes, I am constantly trying to strengthen my contact with you, but without the Sennen puzzle to act as a medium between the shadows and the mortal realm, my spirit cannot easily reach you._ He sighed. _I have news for you... important news, and there is not much time before you wake up. Therefore, I cannot explain here. I have to meet you somewhere where the aura of the Sennen items is still strong enough to hold my spirit._

_Aura...? Where would that be?_

Shadi's form began to vanish, and Yugi darted foreward, though this seemed to have no effect on the distance between them. _Wait! Where can I meet you?_

_Go to the place where the pieces first came together._

_Wait, what pieces? Wait a minute!_

Yugi's eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright in bed. _Pieces... the Sennen Puzzle pieces? Where I put together the Sennen Puzzle then, huh? Well... it's a start at least._

His body jumped as the silence of the house was broken by a pounding on the front door. He blinked drearily at the door to his room for a moment before throwing the blankets off himself and climbing out of bed. He opened the door slightly and peered out into the hallway. "Jii-chan?" He called softly. "Jii-chan, you out there?" Once he had decided his grandfather to still be in bed, he made his way down the stairs and into the front room. Through the tall narrow window beside the door, he spotted a large mess of black hair. He quickly threw open the door to find Mokuba standing on the porch, his face showing clear panic. "Mokuba! What are you doing out that this hour?"

Mokuba ran into the house as Yugi shut the door, then tried to usher him into the kitchen. Mokuba shook his head. "No. Please, Yugi. You have to help save Nii-sama (5)!"

"Huh?" Yugi looked back to him, his stomach squirming. Why on earth would Mokuba come to him if there was a problem with his brother, and not to a doctor or the police? Unless it was a certain type of problem. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't know where else to go... a man got past the security and started attacking my brother. He demanded to know where you were." Mokuba turned to the door again. "Please, come!"

Yugi felt an odd feeling well up in his gut. _Great... so now I'm a bartering chip._ He knew all too well that wasn't what Mokuba intended, but it certainly sounded that way. "Let me grab some clothes." Yugi answered dashing up the stairs and into his room. He pulled on some large jeans over his pajama bottoms, then pulled a white shirt over his head. On an impulse, he grabbed his deck off the desk and shoved it into his pocket. "Atem... please lend me your strength if I need it." He prayed quietly as he bounded down the stairs minutes after he left and the two of them dashed away from the house.

"What happened, exaclty? How did this guy get past Kaiba Corp security?" Yugi inquired as they neared the Kaiba Corp plant.

"You got me." Mokuba answered quietly. All I know was that my brother was working late tonight, and no one even heard him come in. Next thing we know, he's attacking my brother." Mokuba answered, punching in a security code to open the front gates. They ran toward the building, Mokuba began waving his arms in the air, a tall form headed their way. "Nii-sama! Nii-sama!"

Kaiba slowed as he saw Yugi. "Are you alright?" Yugi asked immediately as they converged.

"I'm fine." Kaiba growled, though he tightly gripped his arm. Yugi could see a small red stain seeping through Kaiba's fingers. Kaiba looked to his little brother. "Why do you always go to him!"

Mokuba blushed and shrugged. "I dunno... I trust him, and that guy was looking for him. I thought we might get some answers."

"Thanks a lot." Yugi muttered sarcastically. Kaiba chanced a glance behind him to see if the man was still in pursuit. It seemed he waasn't, so he gave a deep breath, looking down at Yugi. Yugi examined the young CEO. His skin seemed overtly pale, and his entire towering form shivered slightly. His eyes bloodshot and supported by heavy dark bags, Yugi didn't need a Sennen item to know something was seriously wrong. "Kaiba-kun, you look like a wreck! What happened?"

Kaiba turned to glare at him. "I was being physically assulted, Yugi! Am I supposed to look ready for a party?"

Yugi's eyes narrowed at Kaiba's tone. "No, but I know your fighing capabilities. How did this guy beat you up like this?"

"This man got by Kaiba Corp security without anyone hearing or seeing him, Yugi. He's not a normal opponent."

Yugi shook his head, his tone softening. "You look like you haven't slept in a week."

Kaiba shook his head vigorously. "No, this is the first time in two weeks I've worked overtime. Mokuba's made sure of that."

"Then why do you look so exhausted?" Yugi inquired. He paused to send a glance over his shoulder, confirming that the assailant had not yet caught up with them. So, he looked back to Kaiba to await his answer.

"I..." Kaiba trailed off, attempting to put his thoughts into words. In the frenzied attack, there was very little time to make out a tangible thought, and it is difficult to realy thoughts that abrely have form. Finally he sighed. "Every time that guy touched me... I felt like something was being sucked out of me. That's the only way I can explain it."

Yugi paused at his words. Ever since Kaiba had witnessed the duel between Yugi and "the taller Yugi", his belief in things not quite mortal or of thise world had increased. But as said, it's not like he would ever openly admit it. But now, he simply felt he was relaying information, not actually giving in to their "talk". It was still odd to hear him speak os such things. "Something was being sucked out of you?" Yugi sighed. "Sounds like something a shadow creature would be able to do, but it can't be a shadow monster. No gates have been opened, and the return of the games was prevented years ago. How would a shaow monster enter our world." Kaiba's eyes gave a large roll as if to denounce is participation in the conversation. He officially had nothing to do with the young man.

"Yugi!" Mokuba suddenly screamed. Yugi glanced up in time to see a black-clad man leap at him. He dashed out of the way in time and stood again to see what had come at him.

Yugi stared at the mam for a long moment. Every fiber of his being screamed at him what it truly was, but his mind refused to accept it. The creature certainly didn't look like much, but Yugi could sense otherwise. He seemed to be quadrapedal, but there wasn't much form to him. It was as if he were made of a solidified smoke that waved and evaporated at the edges. There were no distiguishing features save for two small red dots at the top Yugi assumed were its eyes. Despite how much he didn't want to believe it, Yugi had to admit that the dreature before him was not, by any means, human. "You... what are you?" Kaibe gave him a look at his odd question, but said nothing about it.

"Little Motou Yugi... world's top duelist and former host of a dead Pharaoh. You're quite the guy." He licked his lips and Yugi shivered. "Just imagine what the Pharaoh would do to save his former host."

The pain of losing his darker half awoke and a rage filled him. "Stop talking about Atem! A creature like you doesn't even deserve to utter his name!"

In an instant the creature was upon him, swinging his fists while all the younger boy could do was dodge this way and that. But eventually, the creature established a powerful grip on Yugi's arm twisting it behind his back and pushing on the back of his neck to make him kneel on the ground. Yugi grunted, his free hand pressing against the ground in an effort to push himself back onto his feet. No such luck. The crature bent down and whispered in his ear.

"Your spunk is impressive, but you are nothing without Atem!"

Yugi growled, but was suddenly cut off as if by his own surprise. The hand on the back of his neck suddenly grew hot, pushing the pain in his shoulder to the back of his mind. It was as if all the energy in his body were beind drawn to the heat in his hand. After a few seconds, his legs collapsed beneath him, dropping himself and the one sitting on him to the ground.

But in a rush of motion the grips on his neck and arm vanished, and he felt two arms grab him and pull him to his feet. He stumbled slightly, gaining his equilibrium back, then looked to where Kaiba was facing off against the shadow creature. It was pretty obvious what had happened. Yugi had just been saved by Kaiba. Not a usual issue to be in. His vision doubling, Yugi saw Kaiba stalk back over to them, the shadow creature still standing ready off to the side.

"What's wrong with you, Yugi? Those kinds of issues have never been a problem for you before." Kaiba grumbled.

Yugi wiped sweat from his brow and pulled a card from his pocket, staring at the purple-clad monster painted on it. "I guess I'm just not the same fighter without Atem around..." He gripped the card between his fingers and leapt to stand before Kaiba, his eyes fierce. His mind rushed into a quick prayer. _Atem... please... leand me your strength..._ He held his hand and the card above his head, pushing energy into the card, his power reaching into the shadow realm and attempting to seek out the indicated monster. "Mahado! Loyal servant to the Pharaoh Atem! Hear me! Come and destroy the enemy of your Lord!"

There was silence.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow at Yugi's seemingly pointless outburst. The man of the shadows held an apprehensive look, wondering if the monster was to come out or not. Kaiba figured the creature a fool, fearing a playing card. But that didn't stop him from wondering what on earth Yugi thought he was doing. Yugi stared at the sky, feeling rather foolish at the moment. Still, he concentrated all his power on the card.

_Please help me... please..._

A flash of sudden lightning and a clap of displaced thunder erupted suddenly from the sky. As the light died down, a purple-clad warrior appeared before Yugi, his staff at the ready. Beneath the hood, nearly black eyes glared down at the monster, brown hair framing his handsome face. The enemy's eyes widened and he took several paces back.

"Be gone!" The monster commanded, waving his staff at him. "Black Magic!"

A greenish sphere of light erupted from the staff and crushed the ground before the enemy, who promptly retreated. Knowing the Yugi child could summon was certainly not good news. He would be a hard one to grab.

The Black Magician (6)turned to look at Yugi, whose weight rested on his knees, his breathing labored. He knelt before his summoner and put a hand on his shoulder, causing Yugi to look up. A patient smile was on Mahado's face. "Summoning and sustaining a monster is not an easy task. For one with Ka as unexperienced as yours, you were strong. My king would be pleased, Young Oji."

Yugi nodded. "Thank you." Mahado bowed and vanished soon after, Yugi's energy flooding back. He slowly stood and turned to the brothers behind him. "You two alright?"

Kaiba nodded. "I'm fine." He paused. "That was... interesting to say the least."

Yugi smiled. "I guess Atem rubbed off on me." His face solemned. "You said when he first came in, he was looking for me from the start, right?"

"Yeah." Kaiba nodded. "But even though he wanted to know, he didn't stop his attack."

"And he was talking as if he wanted to hold me for ransom. But against Atem. Atem's been dead for years." Yugi shook his head as a prick of loss poked his mind. "I don't get this."

"Nevermind it." Kaiba groaned. "Let's just go home."

Yugi sighed and agreed, bending his steps away from the corporation building and back toward home. As he heard he gates close, Mokuba called his brother's reluctant gratitude. "Thanks, Yugi!"

* * *

Kitty-chan: Not nearly as emotionally driving as the first one, but whatever. XD Lotsa talk about Atem, which I had unneccisary fun with. Anyway... translations:

1. -kun: A suffix put on the end of a boy's name to show familiarity  
2. -sensei: a suffix put onto the end of a teacher's name to show respect  
3. Jii-chan: Grandpa; a shortened version of Ojii-san  
4. Sennen Puzzle: Millenium Puzzle  
5. Nii-sama: Older brother; high respect  
6. Black Magician: Japanese name for the Dark Magician

Alright! Now for a preview of the next chappy! Whee!

Jonouchi took a breath that shuddered, as if his entire body was shivering, before speaking. "Dude... you gotta help me..."

* * *

Yugi's eyes widened. _He can read my mind!_

_

* * *

_

Yugi whimpered quietly, staring anxiously into the shadow's black eyes. _Atem... if Atem were here, this guy wouldn't be a problem..._

_

* * *

_

Well... that's really all I can give away. XD Sorry... third chapter should be coming soon! Stay tuned! Next chapter: _Yomini_...


	3. Yomini! Deception!

Kitty-chan: Two chapters in a day after none at all... sorry. Am I smothering you? Anyway... this chapter is uber short compared to the others, but I had tostop it where it was or it would've been uber long. So... uber long or uber short? I chose uber sort. Either way...

Yeah... I don't own Yugi-Oh or any of the characters. That's about it... Oh, and name translations?

**Name Translations  
**Mazaki Anzu: Tea Gardener  
Katsuya Jonouchi: Joey Wheeler  
Hiroto Honda: Tristan Taylor

Stuff with (#) next to it is translated a the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

_

* * *

Ding dong!_

"Yo, konnichiwa (1)." Jonouchi greeted as Yugi opened the door to allow him entrance.

"Hey Jonouchi-kun." Yugi smiled and the two of them headed upstairs to where Anzu and Honda were already seated. Jonouchi plopped onto the sofa while Yugi seated himself on the floor. Honda was the first to speak.

"So, what's up, Yugi? Your call said it was important." Not that it would've mattered were it not important. Weekends were always the simple time they spent together, no matter what the occasion.

Yugi nodded and spoke after a pause. "A lot happened last night." He took a breath then continued. "You remember yesterday after school I told you about that dream I had about Shadi?"

"Yeah." Anzu confirmed. Jonouchi and Honda just nodded. "Did you have the same dream last night?"

"Yeah I did. And this time I understood everything he said."

"What was it?" Jonouchi pushed.

"He said he had news for me. Important news, but he didn't have time to tell me in the dream. I was going to wake up too soon. Since I don't have the Sennen puzzle anymore, he can only contact me in my sleep, I guess. But he told me to meet him somewhere where we could talk."

"Where?" Anzu voiced for the group.

"I'm thinking the place where I first solved the Sennen Puzzle. He said something about an aura left behind by the Sennen items that could hold his spirit, whatever that means."

"So... in your room." Jonouchi answered.

"At your old desk." Honda added.

"In your old house." Anzu stated, bringing the growing excitement in the room to a screeching house. "You don't live there anymore, remember? How can you check out the room if it's not your room anymore?"

"Well, I know the owner of the home really well. Ka-baachan (2)might let us look." Yugi suggested.

"What are we gonna say?" Jonouchi mimed putting a phone to his ear. "Hey, I need to talk to a dead guy in the room upstairs. Mind if I come over?" This earned a slight chuckle from Yugi.

"I'm sure I'll come up with something." Yugi assured him. "And it won't be that."

Anzu put a hand on the arm of his chair. "Yugi...?" He looked up at her. "You've had dreams about Shadi before. Are you sure this one is different from the others?"

The room went silent and Yugi drooped his head. It was true that many other dreams like this one had come along where Atem would return to the living, and stay with them. But none of them had ever gone so far as to affect his waking life. "Well... with the others, there were never any instructions... it was just Shadi was telling me that Atem was coming back. But this one... not only does it seem so real, but it also gave me something that I have to do. It's not just sit and wait for it to happen. Even if it is a dead end... I have to try."

Jonouchi chuckled. "Well, that's good enough for me. I say we go for it."

"Yeah, what could it hurt?" Honda added. "We visit the old house and see if he's there. If he's not... no big deal. We're not any worse off."

Yugi nodded. "Thanks, guys."

"Now... moving on..." Jonouchi continued in a business-like voice. "What else happened last night?"

Yugi sighed and proceeded to recount the tale of the night before's escapades to the Kaiba Corp building, attempting to recall every detail of the assult. When he finished there was another long uncomfortable silence. The group seemed to be denying the happening as a group effort. Though they were somewhat attatched to the supernatural, it was difficult to believe that a threat could once again be rising. And this time, there was no Atem to bail them out. There was little noise for a while other than the simple gulps that seemed oddly loud and the simple ticking of the clock on the wall.

"A shadow creature... now what?" Jonouchi inquired, not expecting anyone to answer.

And no one did...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yugi sighed heavily, pulling his pajama top over head head and crawling between the sheets. Even nearly four years after his double's departure, he missed their nightly talks. Things seemed oddly silent. He couldn't remember a night going by when he and Atem had not stayed up at least ten minutes just talking about the day, their own routine. he noticed it off and on throughout time, but now that Atem had moved to the forefront of his mind the emptiness seemed to be stronger, more lonely. He shifted onto his side and couldn't help but imagine the powerful figure of Atem sitting on the edge of his bed as he so often used to, a ghostly, but comforting presence. He closed his eyes.

_Ring ring!_

Yugi opened them again, and blinked drearily around his room. The ringing sounded again. His violet eyes glanced to the clock; 1:52. He sighed and threw back the covers to pull himself to his feet and swipe he small white cell phone from his desktop. He pressed the button and with a yawn-garbled voice muttered, "Moshi moshi (3)...?"

"Yugi... it's you, right?" someone whispered.

Waking up a bit more at the panic that saturated the voice, Yugi stood straighter, his fatigue vanishing. "Jonouchi-kun? What's wrong? Why are you calling this late?"

Jonouchi took a breath that shuddered, as if his entire body was shivering, before speaking. "Dude... you gotta help me..." He paused to take a shallow breath. "There's some freak in here who looks like my dad!"

Yugi was silent for a moment. "It's _not_ your dad?" He inquired suspiciously, wondering if perhaps the blonde was merely half-asleep.

"No, it's not." Jonouchi insisted. "Listen to me, Yugi... about an hour ago, some guys came over and asked for my dad. My dad mentioned that a friend was coming over later, so I let him come in until my dad would get back from his shopping trip... Suddenly, that freak turned _into_ my dad! He literally changed his face and body to look exactly like him. I don't know how, but he knocked my dad out once he got here, and now he's trying to kill me."

Yugi waved an arm around, already yanking jeans from his dresser. "Why didn't you call the police!"

Jonouchi seemed to shift uncomfortably. "Yugi... this guy somehow turned into my dad. Who the hell is gonna take that seriously?"

"Umm... me?" Yugi suggested as he finished buttoning has pants and dashed down the stairs and out the door. "I'm on my way." He cursed himself for not wearing shoes, but progressed as fast as he possibly could. "Your apartment, I assume?" Jonouchi muttered a yes. "Where?"

"I'm in a compartment in my room." Yugi could almost hear his blush, and he uttered a small squeak and muttered something about a pinch.

"Compartment?" Yugi repeated, getting within sight of the apartment complex.

"Yeah... found it when I was little. Used to hide in here when my dad would get drunk." he chuckled sheepishly, then squeaked again. "I was smaller then."

Yugi smiled weakly. The sound of a door opening on the other end came through and the smile instantly vanished. "Having a nice chat, Jou?" A gruff voice demanded in a sickeningly sweet tone.

"Get away from me you freak!" Jonouchi shouted.

There was much commotion and shuffling on the other end before Yugi heard the phone hit something. A distant struggle was heard and Yugi slammed his phone shut, shoving it into his pocket and bounding up the stairs to Jonouchi's floor. Though he had been concerned about finding the correct apartment, as he ran allong the hall, he found he needn't have worried. The door was flung open and as he rounded the doorframe, he paused. The apartment was in shambles. Empty beer bottles had been collected in a corner, and several had been shattered. He saw the remains of several bottles imbedded in the far wall, and shards littering the floor below. The present couch had been overturned, and the coffee table was leaning up against the wall next to the door. Broken glass littered the thin carpet and Yugi was glad he wore shoes.

"Jonouchi-kun..." he whispered, creeping into the room. His hand wandered to his pocket, where his deck was stored. he clutched it firmly as he headed into the next room, the kitchen. The room looked pretty intact save for the broken dishes on the floor. The one thing that worried him was the one of the counters. The top shimmered with a bright red substance, reflecting the dull moonlight as it dripped into a puddle on the floor. "Jonouchi-kun..." Yugi called again, his voice cautious.

Suddenly the door to the room beyond the kitchen flew open, allowing Jonouchi's towering body to be tossed out like a sack. his back slammed into Yugi, sending them both to the floor in the main area. Yugi yelped loudly as several small bits of glass imbedded themselves into his back through his thin pajama top. Jonouchi got up only seconds later and knelt over Yugi, surveying his face. A few drops of blood hit Yugi's cheek. There was a deep gash across the blonde's hairline that dribbled blood down his face and now dripped onto Yugi's.

"Yugi... yo... you alright?" Jonouchi inquired immediately, helping his friend to his feet. Yugi nodded, then winced. Blood began to dribble down his back and soak his top, but his attention had already shifted to the brown-haired man stomping out of the open room.

"Ah, Yugi-kun... exactly who I hoped to meet." He smiled and Yugi's insides writhed.

_He certainly looks like Jonouchi's dad... but who is he?_ Yugi growled at him, his hand clenching tightly about his deck.

"I don't really have a name, but I suppose you could call me Yomini. (4)" He chuckled. Yugi froze. "Oh and I see you seem to have inherited the Pharaoh's ability to summon. That would explain the deck in your pocket."

Yugi's eyes widened. _He can read my mind!_

The man calling himself Yomini chuckled slightly to himself. "Of course I can." He shrugged in mock modesty. "Did you expect less from a messenger from the Dark Realm?"

"I knew it. Both you... and the one from the other day... you're both from the Shadows aren't you?" Yugi stated firmly, a growl behind his words.

"No joke, kid. Indeed, Yomichi (5), the one you met yesterday, and myself are both creatures of shadow, come to give you a message..." He took a few intimidating steps foreward. "Atem... is... ours..."

Yugi whipped a card from his pocket and held it out toward him."Stay back. Atem has been dead for almost four years now. What you are doing is pointless!"

"You know nothing, child." Yomini sneered.

Jonouchi glanced at the card Yugi held up, and did not fail to notice the stop in advance Yomini made. He cocked an eyebrow at Yugi. "What are you doing? It's a playing card."

Yugi's eyes were fixed on Yomini. "Atem used the cards as a medium. He could use the cards as a portal to send his energy into the Dark realm and summon real monsters. I've done it before." He held the card above his head and shoved energy into it. "Mahado! Loyal servant to the Pharaoh! Hear me! Come and destroy the enemy of your Lord!"

Once again, nothing happened. But this time it was different.

Nothing continued to happen.

Once nothing was finished happening, Yugi dropped to his knees, panting. Jonouchi moved to kneel behind him. "What's wrong, Yugi?"

"I don't have enough energy to summon anything!" Yugi answered, his voice laden with anger.

Yomini gave a laughing sigh. "Seems your run-in with Yomichi yesterday drained your Ka pretty badly. Ka doesn't return overnight, you know. Not fully anyway."

Yugi scowled. _If he's of the shadows like that other one, it makes sense that he's able to change his appearance, but I wonder... how many are there?_ He got to his knees, but was unable to find his feet, doubling over and clutching his stomach. _That summoning yesterday took a lot out of me._ Jonouchi gave a yelp as he was hit away. Yomini was immediately in front of Yugi and wasted no time in establishing an iron grip on Yugi's neck, lifting him up and off the ground.

"And now we have what we need." Yomini chuckled, a wicked smile covering his face as his form changed back to that of the one Yugi had already faced.

Yugi whimpered quietly, staring anxiously into the shadow's black eyes. _Atem... if Atem were here this guy wouldn't be a problem..._

There was a pause as if silence had blanketed the area and was preparing to be ripped away into noise again. Something behind Yugi caught the man's eye and he laughed aloud. "That sure was fast!"

A loud noise and indistinct yelling was heard followed by a brilliant light. Something large and colorful plowed into the enemy, sending Yugi roughly into Jonouchi. The two fell back and Yugi heard Jonouchi scream accompanied by the sickening crackle of glass. The light grew brighter and brighter until he saw no more...

* * *

Kitty-chan: Told ya... uber short. XD Sorry about that. Anyway... translations... more in here than I thought. o.o

1. Konnichiwa: Good afternoon (Often used as simply "hello")  
2. -baachan: suffix put on an older woman's name to denote familiarity (also translated as Grandma)  
3. Moshi moshi: Greeting when answering the phone.  
4. Yomini: Yomi is the Japaneseword for the underworld, or in this case, the Dark Realm; Ni is the number two  
5: Yomichi: Yomi is the Japanese word for the underworld, or in this case, the Dark Realm; Ichi is the number 1

There joo have it. Now... preview time!

* * *

"Yugi-chan!" Yugi let out a sound akin to a squeak. He blushed as a short stout woman encircled him in a tight embrace.

* * *

Yugi put a hand to his chin. "Not sure. I suppose he'll-!"  
"-just show up." A middle-eastern accent interrupted his speech, causing them all to glance around the room.

* * *

Yugi caught Shadi's dark eye and spoke. "Me? He looked back at me!"

* * *

Yeah... once again, not much to put. The next chapter is long, but it has a lot of vital info in it, and I can't give that away. XD So... stay tuned!

Next chapter:  
Criminals! The San Oni!


	4. Criminals! The San Oni!

Kitty-chan: Don't have a lot of time since my internet connection is shifty right now. Dunno how long it will last, so this will be brief.

I don't own Yugi-Oh at all. It is the property of 4Kids Entertainment.

**Name Translations:**  
Mutou Yugi: Yugi Moto  
Katsuya Jonouchi: Joey Wheeler  
Hiroto Honda: Tristan Taylor  
Mazaki Anzu: Tea Gardener

Stuff with (#) next to it is translated at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Yugi stuffed himself into a shirt, shaking out his wet hair. Taking a shower had been rather difficult this morning, due to the bandages on his back. The night before, Yugi had woken up in the hospital. An anonymous caller had made the call to 911 earlier in the evening and by the time the paramedics arrived, Yugi and Jonouchi had been the only ones present in the room. They had each sustained gash wounds to their backs due to landing on glass-littered floor, but nothing too serious. A night in the hospital had given them plenty of time to remove any lingering glass pieces. But they would still have bandages for a few days, just to keep the wounds from infecting. How on earth they had managed to get Yomini away from them, Yugi had no idea. I mean, just seconds before he passed out, wasn't Yomini holding him up by the neck and sneering in his face? But the paramedics that picked them up said no one else was in the room with them. Not even Jonouchi's dad. No one had heard from the man since the day before, as he had obviously gone out to get beer. Jonouchi had guessed he was on one of his drinking escapades and Yugi hoped that was the worst that happened to him.

Yugi took a glance at the clock and gave a large yawn. 11:25. He was to meet Tashi Kairi at her house at noon. Luckily she lived close, but he hoped the others could wake themselves up enough to show up. Anzu and Honda had stayed all night with them at the hospital and none of them were able to return home until about 5:00 that morning. Yugi exited his room, hearing loud snoring coming from down the hall. Jii-chan had been there as well, and considering he had nothing important to do, he might as well sleep.

Yugi stepped outside and locked the door, giving a stretch and allowing the warm sun to wake him up. Once more aware of himself he headed down the street, not getting two feet before a familiar voice caused him to turn. "Oi! Yugi!"

Jonouchi was dashing down the sidewalk toward him, waving his ams in the air like a child. Apparently it took a lot more than a lack of sleep to keep him down. Yugi knew that his fatigue would catch up with him later, but for now he was his usual ball of energy self. Once caught up, Jonouchi bent over, resting his weight and hands on his knees. "I made it." He declared proudly.

"How are you, Jonouchi-kun? You feel alright today?" Yugi inquired, worry tinting his voice.

Jonouchi gave him a look. "I'm fine, Yugi. What about you?"

Yugi shrugged. "I'm alright. Just a little tired from last night."

"Tell me about it." Jonouchi perked up suddenly, as if just remembering something. "Oh! Yugi... my dad came back this morning. He just told me what happened last night. He said he was on his way home, which I highly doubt, and he was attacked by these guys in black. He was knocked out and when he came to, it was morning again." He put a finger to his chin. "You think it could've been Yomini and Yomichi?"

Yugi nodded. "Most likely. Seems too much of a coincidence for it to be someone else." He sighed. "Hopefully Shadi will fill us in on what's going on... if he's actually there."

Jonouchi clapped a hand to his friend's back. "He'll be there, Yugi. What else could explain all this crap going on?"

Yugi sighed. "Yeah... it just... seems too good to be true... Atem having a chance at coming back?"

Jonouchi chuckled. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Yugi. Shadi didn't say anything about Atem in your dream when you understood him, did he?"

Yugi smiled. "I suppose not. I heard him say Atem once before in one of the garbled dreams, but I... could've heard wrong."

"Don't sweat it, Yugi. Shadi will hopefully have some answers for us."

"Yeah... let's hope."

"Speaking of answers..." Jonouchi's eyes took on a serious look. "Any idea what happened last night? I mean... one minute we're being attacked by Yomini... the next we're in hospital beds. How did that happen?"

"I wish I could tell you. It seems odd, doesn't it?"

"What's odd?"

Yugi and Jonouchi looked up as they neared the Tashi house. Honda and Anzu were sitting on the curb near the house and stood as they came near. Yugi smiled at Anzu, who had spoken. "Just... last night and stuff. It all happened so quickly."

Honda shrugged. "You two seemed to be in pretty bad shape last night. I am never going to Jonouchi's house again."

"Thanks a lot, Hiroto." Jonouchi grumbled as Yugi approached the door and punched the doorbell. He felt a slender hand on his shoulder.

Anzu pulled the hand away as she got Yugi's attention. "Are you sure we should be doing this, Yugi? Someone could be playing a trick on you... what if those shadow creatures you've run into... you said the one last night could read minds. Isn't it possible that he could've fiddled with your dreams?"

Yugi sighed and turned around to his friends. "I know it sounds possible, but I don't think that's it. I've been having these dreams for a while before they appeared. Besides..." He pointed to his own temple. "If they were in my head, I'd sense them."

Anzu smiled, reassured. "It seems Atem rubbed off on you more than we think, ne?"

Yugi nodded as the door was opened.

"Yugi-chan!" Yugi let out a sound akin to a squeak. He blushed as a short stout woman encircled him in a tight embrace.

"Hai, Ka-baachan." Yugi chuckled weakly. The woman held on for a moment more before stepping back and pressing a hand to his head, mussing his hair slightly. "Look at how big you've gotten!" She then clapped her hands together and looked to Jonouchi, Honda, and Anzu like a kid eying candy. "And who are these young people?"

Yugi, still blushing, pointed to each of them as he spoke their name. "This is Katsuya Jonouchi, Mazaki Anuz, and Hiroto Honda." He then looked to them and pointed at the woman. "This is Tashi Kairi."

The woman smiled. "But everyone calls me Ka-baachan." The group looked her over. She was an older woman, most likely in her sixties, with a round face, rosy cheeks, and large liquid eyes. She was dressed traditionally, wearing a dul reddish-colored kimono, an umbrella hanging from one arm and a small change purse hanging from the other. It was clear she was going out.

Yugi bowed. "We won't be long, Ka-baachan."

The woman flicked a hand at him. "Oh don't worry. Take as long as you need." With that, she shuffled out the door and headed down the road, calling over her shoulder, "I'll be back in a few hours! If you kids are still around, I'll make you some onigiri!" As she vanished around the corner, the group turned eyes on Yugi. He blushed again.

"She used to watch me while Jii-chan handled the shop. She's like my grandmother." With a shrug, they headed in and hurried to the second floor of the shop. They hurried into an office, previously Yugi's room. They began to search about a little at first, but soon returned to where Yugi stood, hovering over a large guest bed.

"Your desk was here, ne Yugi?" Anzu inquired, stooping to look under the bed. Yugi nodded and Anzu stood again, having found nothing.

"How exactly do we find Shadi?" Jonouchi inquired of no one in particular.

Yugi plopped onto the edge of the bed and sighed. "Not sure. I suppose he'll-!"

"-just show up." A middle eastern voice interrupted his speech, causing them all to glance around the room. The dark-skinned man was sitting at the work desk, his white cape behind him and turban wrapped neatly around his head.

"Shadi!" Yugi's violet eyes brightened and he felt his stomach jolt. "You're here!"

Shadi chuckled faintly, standing. "Did I not say I would be?"

Yugi looked down. "Well, you did... but... I was afraid it was... just a dream."

Shadi put a ghostly hand on his head, but his face was solemn. "I'm glad you game, Oji-sama." He stepped back and addressed all of them. "I have two matters I must discuss with you all, and not a lot of time in which to do it. The aura left behind by the Sennen puzzle has slowly been fading over the years since you solved it, and soon, it will not be enough to support my spirit."

"Aura?" Jonouchi repeated, cocking his head.

"You said that in the dream as well. What aura are you talking about, Shadi?" Yugi inquired, sitting down on the floor.

Shadi looked to the young man. "When you first solved the puzzle, Oji-sama... what happened?"

Yugi's brow furrowed. "It's kinda fuzzy. There was a bright light and suddenly monsters were all over. That's about it. Next thing I know, I woke up the next morning feeling like I hadn't slept at all."

"When you solved the Sennen Puzzle, it opened the door to the Dark Realm and monsters spilled out. The Pharaoh used his power to banish all those monsters and then left to deal with a bully that had threatened you... Ushio, I believe it was."

Yugi's eyes widened. "You mean Mou hitori no Boku is the one that did that to Ushio?" Yugi inquired, thinking back to the sight of the large "hall monitor", as he threw garbage about, claiming it was money.

Shadi continued. "That spillage of the Dark Realm and the use of the Pharaoh's power, left behind an aura. I can use that aura as a medium to transport my spirit to the place that power was used." He cleared his throat, then continued. "As I said, I have two matters to discuss with you. The first of which, I am sure, you are already aware of."

Yugi's eyes narrowed. "Those attacks?"

"Yes." He nodded. "You know of two of them, the two calling themselves Yomichi and Yomini."

"What are they?" Jonouchi pushed.

Shadi looked up to the blonde. "They are the San Oni. Three demons sealed away not too long after the defeat of Zorc. The Pharaoh was truly the King. Not only over his land, but also of the Shadows. He was the chosen Pharaoh, meaning he had the power to manipulate shadow and light to his pleasure. Though Zorc was defeated, his will lives on even to this day, in the Dark Realm he created, and the San Oni were born in an effort to get revenge on the Pharaoh for defeating the dark one. Zorc was most likely trying to break the hold on the Shadows the Pharaoh had."

"But I thought Zorc died. Didn't he die when the Pharaoh used the huge God combination?" Honda inquired.

Shad shook his head. "By destroying that body, you merely destroyed Zorc's only way of directly effecting the mortal world. His will lives on in the Dark realm, but he can no longer come out and wreak havoc like he once did." He paused. "The San Oni launched an attack on the palace.

"The battle certainly didn't last long. Zorc had underestimated the Pharaoh's ability to control the Dark Realm. The demons were sealed away with little more than an energy drain for the Pharaoh."

Yugi shrugged. "Sounds like it went fine. What's wrong now? How have they escaped?"

Shadi shook his head. "That, I cannot tell you... I honestly do not know how they escaped. They were weakened severely in the battle against the Pharaoh, so there is no way they could've overcome his power. I have a theory, however." Yugi motioned for him to continue. "Well... the power that supports the seal is the only link they have to the Dark Realm or the mortal realm. If they found a way to absorb energy directly from the Pharaoh's soul, then they could possibly gain enough power to escape. But that certainly doesn't seem possible."

"Why not?" Anzu voiced.

Shadi looked to her. "The Pharaoh is not like other humans. The matrix of power in his body is so complex that only one that knew it inside and out could possibly drain his power. But there's no way the demons would understand that." He sighed and looked back to Yugi. "One thing I know of is their objective. Once they were sealed, they were weakened severely. They are after the Pharaoh again to drain his power and restore their strength."

Honda raised an eyebrow. "Here's where you lose me. Why are they after Atem? He's been dead for years."

They looked to Shadi, who had a solemn expression on his face. "That is the other matter I must speak with you about..." The excitement in the room seemed to escalate. "The Pharaoh is alive."

Yugi's stomach exploded into butterflies, and a smile broke out on his face. "What? He's alive!"

Shadi frowned at Yugi's excitement. "It is no matter of celebration, Oji-sama." Yugi's smile wilted. "By passing from death to life, the Pharaoh has sinned against nature and against the Dark Realm, for which he will be punished."

Honda shook his head. "I don't get this! Atem passed on! We all saw him! How is he alive?" It's not that he wanted the contrary to be true, it was simply that he wanted to be sure there was reason to celebrate. And with the look on Shadi's face bearing down at them, he feared there wasn't.

"When one crosses the bridge from life into death, they must move foreward without looking back. If they look back at their lives, they could possibly see something that can keep them from successfully moving into the afterlife. For the most part, money and desires of the flesh hold mortals back if they look at their life, but for the Pharaoh, it was a person." He looked down at Yugi.

Yugi caught Shadi's dark eye and spoke. "Me? He looked back at me?"

Shadi nodded. "It was nothing you did, Oji-sama, but the Pharaoh, couldn't let go of his desire to protect you. He loves you like a brother, and his soul, even in death, cannot let that go."

There was a silence before Anzu spoke. "So... what happened after the battle?"

"As you know, the Ceremonial Battle took place in a cavern underground. That place was built by the Egyptians, as you know, to the west of Egypt. It was set to be the resting place of all the Sennen items. But the Egyptains knew that the Sennen items would be vital to the Pharaoh, once he returned. So, they built a carvern beyond the room that held the Sennen resting place and in there, they placed his body."

"His body? But wouldn't his body go into his tomb in Egypt?" Honda inquired flatly.

"Yes, his tomb was in Egypt, but the Egyptians who were closest to the Pharaoh saw no need to bury him at that time. They knew he would be coming back, and they thought it was a literal issue. They believed that he would come back into his own body after his soul was healed. So, once he died, they did nothing to prepare the body for burial. They didn't even change his clothes. They had several priests, including several of the secret court, put preservation spells on his body, and it was stored in that room until his return. The room is made to only open from the inside by way of analyzing the Pharaoh's Ka and Ba. He was placed there to have open access to the Sennen Items when he awoke."

Jonouchi's eyes widened. "You mean...?"

Shadi nodded again. "Yes... the Pharaoh has taken his own body and has returned in the flesh."

There was silence and Yugi now stood in frozen excitement. Atem was alive. He was walking the earth right at that moment. What was he doing? Was it he that had saved Jonouchi and himself from Yomini the night before? Where was he? There was an odd shock that filled the room. Hearing that one had come back to life was odd enough. But it was indeed the one they had been wishing for that had come back. Having a wish so fully and perfectly granted seemed... wrong on some level. It did not require anything of them, but perhaps... thinking back to Shadi's words... would it cost anything of Atem?

"However..." Like the shattering of glass, Shadi's word broke through every reverie in the room, turning all attention to him. "You must understand the problem with his revival. I told you he had committed a crime..."

"And that he would be punished..." Yugi muttered, anxiety clouding his voice. "What punishment?"

"The Pharaoh must be returned to the resting place of the Sennen items and his soul will be put back into the afterlife." Shadi answered monotonely.

Anzu put a hand to her chest in some kind of self-conscious worry-motion. "If we bring him there... will it hurt him to be put back?"

Shadi shook his head. "It involves no pain. He will merely fall to sleep."

Yugi's brow furrowed. "Wait... that's not possible. The Dark Realm cannot take without giving out pain. I know the Dark Realm almost as well as Atem did."

Shadi placed a hand on the boy's head. "Don't worry, Oji-sama. Pharaoh Akunahnkanen, Atem's father, has worked around his son's crime and has made it so no pain will come to him."

Yugi looked up into his eyes, reading his hesitance. _He doesn't really believe that either. He was _told_ that._

Shadi stepped away. "You four are my best hope for finding the Pharaoh. He will seek you, Oji-sama. Will you help me?"

Yugi glanced around to the others for a moment, a helpless look in his eyes. The others looked back at him. One train of thought passed through all of them. They were all on the same wavelength. They all thought the same thing. But none of them knew quite how to answer Shadi. Yugi sighed and turned to Shadi. Though it was a group answer, Yugi had been the one addressed. "We'll do everything we can to get rid of the San Oni, but we'll play it by ear when it comes to Atem."

"Play it by ear?" Shadi repeated, as if he had not understood the phrase.

Jonouchi nodded. "Yeah. After all, he's an old friend. And leading him to someplace where his soul will be put away is like leading him to his death. We can't do that to him."

Shadi sighed. "I understand that this is hard for you to think about, but it is something that must be done. The Pharaoh does not belong in this world. It is a crime for him to remain here." He paused, knowing full well their feelings, for they were ones that plagued him as well. More than anything, he, along with Seto, Mahado, and Mana, wanted the King to experience the happiness he lacked during his 3000-year imprisonment. That happiness seemed most present in his last few year's present on earth; his dwelling in Yugi's body. It was clear that the boy held the key to the Pharaoh's happiness... and yet... it was now a crime for him to remain with Yugi. Had it now become a crime for the Pharaoh to be happy? "He understands his crime full-well, but his love for you four has clouded his logic. You must not tell him you plan to return him to the Dark Realm. He would not agree."

"What!" Anzu cried, her eyebrows coming to a point. "Not only do you want us to lead him back to death, but you want us to lie as well!"

Shadi bowed his head. "There is no other way to rectify his crime"

"Whatever the reason, we'll still play it by ear in the case of Atem. It's difficult for us." Yugi sighed.

"Hai, Oji-sama. It is in your hands." Shadi bowed and within moments, he had vanished.

There was a long pause after Shadi's departure, no one really sure what to say. They had come with hopes running along the lines of Atem's return, and they were leaving with that same hope crushed by the circumstances. It would've been bad enough to simply find out Atem was not to return. But rather than simply never seeing the hope, as if it were being held behind someone's back, but rather they were given the hope and then immediately had it snatched away.

As they headed out, Yugi did not let go of the feeling that something was off. Even the concept of the Dark Realm acting without causing pain seemed a little too abstract to be believed. The Dark Realm was all about pain. Anything and everything it did was to lead to suffering and dispair. But when Atem defies nature itself, it has little more punishment than to be brought back? Zorc would want compensation far beyond anything Atem could give for that atrocity. Yugi knew that much.

Throughout the entire walk back to Yugi's house, the only thing uttered was that of Jonouchi. "This sucks..."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The room was quiet, making Jii-chan rather unsettled. Jonouchi and Honda constantly drew attention and noise about them, even when in the house, so hearing it so quiet in the room upstairs made Jii-chan just a slight bit uneasy.

The air upstairs was just as uneasy as Jii-chan was below. The awkward silence that had followed them home now hung over them like a suffocating blanket. Yugi sat by himself at the desk to the side of the entertainment center, his hands fiddling idly over a rubix cube. It seemed appropriate as the rubix cube was just as confusing and impossible as their current situation. Anzu sat near the window, staring with glazed eyes over the area, not really seeing any of it. Her mind was completely consumed by the day's events. Jonouchi and Honda sat against the couch beside one another, staying silent and deep in thought. It was an odd state of affairs to see them in, considering they were not the type to think things through before rushing blindly into a situation. And even when they did think, they would spend a minimal amount of time planning and then rush blindly in.

Yugi finaly sighed and stood, setting the rubix cube firmly on the desk. "That's enough..." He muttered. Attention flew to him. "Listen... I don't know what to do about Atem any more than you do, but no matter weather or not he defied nature doesn't matter to me. Maybe it's just my desire to see him again that makes me say that, but I am not going to take him back to that chamber. I'm never going to betray him like that."

"Yugi... you know you're going up against Zorc by doing that, don't you?" Anzu warned.

"I know exactly what I'm doing, Anzu. I've faced Zorc before in his true form, and I'm not afraid of him. I owe it to Atem to do this." He sighed and flopped back into his seat. "There were probably about two years in between the time that I solved the Sennen Puzzle and the time that we truly found out that "mou hitori no Yugi" actually existed in reality, not just some dream we all had." His fist clenched. "Those years must've been hell for him. Not only did he have no idea who he was, but he would do great things and only I would get the credit. No one knew he existed, no one payed any attention to him. He was lost in that labyrinth of a mind for years before we even figured out that he and I were not one and the same. He helped me find friends and got me back on my feet. He gave me the courage to live my own life, and he made me who I am today... I owe it to him to help him."

"You already have." Jonouchi muttered, not looking up. "Do you remember any of the odd happenings with the people you encountered before Duelist Kingdom, like Ushio and that man who tried to kidnap Anzu?" Yugi grunted in agreement. "Atem left Ushio to torture himself into insanity and the kidnapper at the restaraunt died."

"What's your point?" Honda pushed.

"Don't you get it? Even in Duelist Kingdom, Atem was willing to do away with Kaiba if it would mean his own victory. Atem was next to heartless before you and he got to know each other. He had no reguard for the lives of those that hurt you. But after he met you, he softened and became the Pharaoh we grew to love. You gave him his heart back. You don't owe him any more than that."

Yugi shook his head. "I'm not talking about the way we changed each other. I'm saying that for nearly three years, Atem acted as my mask. His whole existance was built on letting me shine and gain glory. He wasn't a person... he was the equivalent of a human poker-face. A mask for me to wear. This is all I can think of to repay him for those years of solitude."

Jonouchi smiled. "I've never let you go off and do suicidal things like this by yourself before, and I don't see any reason to stop now. I'm with you."

Honda nodded. "Yeah. Atem is a friend to all of us. Leading him back there is the worst betrayal possible. It may be against the rules, but rules were made to be broken."

Anzu stood. "I agree. Shadi can't ask us to do something like that to our best friend. It's not fair to us and it's not fair to Atem, especially the lying to him part."

Yugi clenched his fist. "Good. So now we need to worry about the San Oni until Atem shows up. Why don't we meet at the park next Sunday and talk over some stuff. Over the week, keep an eye out for Atem, and try and come up with ways to fight back against the San Oni using what we already know about them."

"Not much to go on, but whatever." Jonouchi joked. He stood and gave a stretch, his joints popping a few times as he did. "Well... I should get back home. School tomorrow and all. See you!"

Honda and Anzu followed a little bit later, and Yugi turned back to his rubix cube, twisting and turning the many faces. The problem was still akin to a rubix cube with the defiance of the Dark Realm and all, but it seemed easier to deal with.

But the rubix cube did not.

* * *

Kitty-chan: Hope you liked. Lotsa dialogue in this one. But as I said, time is short. No translations in this chapter. Just a preview.

* * *

"Just as I thought..." the demon snarled, pulling attention to himself as he approached the kneeling Black Magicain Girl. "You are but a shadow of the Great Pharaoh. Completely powerless without his help..."

* * *

The demon stood from his crouched position and gave an arrogant smirk. "So... you show yourself a second time, your Highness. I heard about your fight with Yomini. We feared you dead."

* * *

"Good to see you again, my student."  
Mana paused.

* * *

"So... will his body die again...?"

* * *

That's about all for now. Stay tuned for the next chapter; _Yomisan!..._


	5. Yomisan! Atem's Return!

Kitty-chan: Yo! Got chapter 5 done, after working on it for like... two days. Yeah... despite the fact that this really isn't the longest chapter to date, it took a while to tweak and type out fully. But this is probably one of my favorite chapters thusfar. I enjoyed writing it a lot, and I hope you enjoy reading it just as much.

I do not own Yugi-Oh, it is the property of 4Kids entertainment... and...

Name translations, here...

**Name Translations:  
**Muto Yugi: Yugi Moto  
Katsuya Jonouchi: Joey Wheeler  
Hiroto Honda: Tristan Taylor  
Mazaki Anzu: Tea Gardener

Stuff with (#) is translated at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

"Ohayo (1)!" Jonouchi called as he and Honda appraoched the bench where Yugi sat.

"Ohayo, Jonouchi-kun... Honda-kun." Yugi smiled as they plopped into the seats next to him.

"Haven't seen you much this week." Honda pointed out, sighing. "Course... I haven't even seen Jonouchi around either."

"Ah." Yugi nodded. "We've all been really busy lately." Throughout the week, he had not gona places with the others as he usually would, weather to an arcade, or to his house. The four had spent that week alone for the most part, solitary with their thoughts. It had been a rather lonely week, and they had to admit, rather unproductive.

Jonouchi glanced around. "Eh? Where's Anzu?"

Yugi shook his head. "She's not here yet. I haven't seen her barely at all this week. I saw her at that floral shop she works at a few times, but she didn't have time to talk."

"Hmm... being late isn't common for her. Suppose she got off work late?" Honda suggested.

"Maybe." There as a silence that followed as all three minds trailed to one subject, though none were at the moment brave enough to bring it up. Finally, Yugi screwed up his courage and spoke. "Any sign of Atem at all this week?"

"No... nothing." Jonouchi shook his head and Honda grunted in agreement. "Maybe he's not in Japan."

"Huh? Why wouldn't he be?" Yugi inquired.

"He's looking for you, and you're not the hardest guy to track down, what with being world famous and all... if he was here, I bet you he would've found you by now."

"I suppose how long it takes to find us depends on where he started. " Honda muttered, placing a hand to his chin.

Yugi's eyes went wide. "Egypt..." He sighed and put his head in his hands. "It could take him years to find us!"

Jonouchi shook his head, watching a bird set off from its perch to land on the ground nearby. "Maybe... but I have this feeling he's closer than we think."

Honda chuckled. "Isn't it Yugi that can usually sense Atem's movements?"

Jonouchi gave him a look while Yugi looked down. "I don't have that kind of connection with him anymore, so your guess is as good as mine." He put a hand to his chest. _To be honest, I've been sensing Atem's presence for a while now... I had written it off as wishful thinking. But if Jonouchi's feeling the same thing..._ He sighed. _Then why hasn't Atem shown up yet?_

Honda broke his reverie. "So... while we wait for Anzu, you guys wanna get started?"

Yugi nodded, dipping his hand into his pocket and pulling out a deck of cards, the card Golden Sarcophogus sitting at the top. Jonouchi stared at it for a long moment. "Yugi... is that...?"

Yugi nodded. "Ah... this is the same deck I used against Mou hitori no Boku in the Ceremonial Battle."

Honda and Jonouchi took a moment to ponder on the deck. It was extraordinary, really. After all, it contained no cards that actually had the potential to beat an Egyptian God card, but Yugi had beaten all three at once with this strategically built deck. "Sugeh...(2)" Honda breathed.

Yugi shrugged. "Any ideas on how t go about fighting the San Oni?"

Jonouchi looked at his hands beofre holding them up. "These are my only weapons... if it were a matter like the ones we've dealt with before, I could expect to duel my way through these punks... but they want nothing to do with the card game. I can only punch and kick without the cards."

Hondo shook his head. "Mine's the same as Jonouchi. Of the four of us, I think I'm most out of tune with what's going on. I've always been a sideline guy. I'm not a very good duelist, and Jonouchi's a better fighter than I am." He looked up at him. "I've heard you've inherited Atem's ability to summon monsters, but I don't know what Jonouchi, Anzu and I can do to help."He looked back down in concentration. "Not to mention that we really don't know much about these things. We know where the San Oni came from, but what do we really know about their abilities? We know the first one can drain a person when they touch them, and the second one is a shape-shifter. But if these things were truly made by Zorc to kill the Pharaoh, they've gotta be packing more than just that. Not to mention there's a third one to deal with that we haven't even met. There are just too many unknowns."

Yugi began absently flipping through his deck. "Maybe so... but we can't just wait until we know more to form a plan. With each attack by those things, someone else gets hurt. The price of simply gathering information is just too high. The San Oni could strike at any time, and not being ready isn't gonna fly. We don't have time to sit back and observe."

Honda sighed, nodding.

"What about you, Yugi?" Jonouchi inquired suddenly. "Did you come up with any ideas?"

Yugi held up his deck. "This is the only one. Having Atem in my body really helped me learn to manipulate my soul, so I can summon monsters to fight. Perhaps I can built on that skill and become better. The only problem is, not only do I not have anyone to teach me, but I'm also the only one who can do it." He looked down. "And I haven't been able to come up with a way to teach you. I thought a lot about it over this past week, but the only reason I can manipulate my soul like that is because my bond with Atem made me aware of my soul's energy. I have no idea how to help you guys become aware of yours."

Jonouchi sighed and gave a smile, opening his mouth to speak, but he was roughly cut off. A shriek echoed across the park. The three stood. "What was that?" Jonouchi demanded immediately.

"Anzu!" Yugi took off to the left, Jonouchi and Honda close behind. It didn't take long to catch up with Anzu, but when they reached her, the problem certainly wasn't apparent. Anzu was stumbling about, clutching certain points on her body as if they had been struck. "Anzu... what's wrong?" Yugi inquired, something familiar sent a tingle down his spine, but hecouldn't quite place it yet.

"Yugi help! Something's hitting me!" Anzu cried, clutching her right arm.

Jonouchi raised an eyebrow. "Anzu... there's no one here."

"No!" Yugi cried, his violet eyes narrowed. "I can sense it!" His mind placed the tingle and he tore a card from his pocket. "The third demon!" Jonouchi and Honda growled, clenching hands into fists as Yugi held the card above his head. "Eye of Truth!" There was a blanket of light, and when it faded, a black-clad 'man' could be seen standing to the left of Anzu, halted by the brilliance. Yugi's eyes narrowed. He certainly didn't look too different from the other two, but Yugi could feel a connection to the Dark Realm. One that he feared. Could this one fight with the power of Dark Realm Maipulation, much like Atem had? If so, he feared, they could be in over their heads. Even thus, Yugi growled and whistled at the demon. "Oi!" He shouted, though the demon's attention was already on him. "Over here..." yugi muttered. He yenked another card from his deck, and without even looking at it, held it above his head. "Mana! I call upon you to protect your Lord!"

The clap of displaced thunder unnaturally followed by a flash of lightning heralded the arrival of Yugi's monster. Jonouchi, Honda, and Anzu took a few steps backwards. Not only were they stunned by the reaction the card demanded, but also simply by Yugi's ability. "He's doing that thing that Atem did in the Ceremonial Battle."

"You mean using his will to determine the card he draws?" Honda suggested, earning a nod from Jonouchi. "Atem's truly made Yugi a different person even after he left."

Black Magician Girl appeared before her now panting summoner, her bright blue eyes glaring at the enemy. After amoment, she looked to Yugi and gave a smile. "Oji-sama..."

Yugi pointed at the black demon. "Ike(3)! Destroy him!"

Mana nodded and threw her staff doan at the enemy, a purple ball of light erupting immediately from the end. The demon simply smirked and shook his head as if in pity. His hands were held up before his chest, and before the ball of energy got too close, its progression was halted. It remained in place for a moment, as if he were giving the two attackers time to figure it out. Yugi grunted, surprise making up very little of the noise. _I knew it... he can manipulate the Dark Realm like Atem could... but to what degree...?_ There was nothing more to do at the moment, so they simply waited at the ready.

The demon smirked before sending the energy burst back at its sender, its speed double that of when it was sent initially. The Black Magician Girl, not having time to react, yelped loudly as the impact sent her flying to the pavement, which yielded under the stress and cracked slightly. Yugi crossed his arms over his stomach and dropped to his knees. The three spectators were instantly at his side.

"Yugi! Daijobou(4)?" Jonouchi demanded, attempting to help him to his feet. Yugi did not get to his feet at the moment, his full attention on Mana. Mana rolled to her stomach and got to her knees, attempting to stand, but lacking the energy to.

"Just as I thought..." the demon snarled, pulling attention to himself as he approached the kneeling Black Magician Girl. "You are but a shadow of the Great Pharaoh. Completely powerless without his help..." He smirked at Yugi, the curve in his lips and the flash of his teeth betraying his pleasure in the destruction.

Yugi coughed a bit and glared at him. _If Atem were here... Atem could take this guy down, so why can't I!_

The demon crouched down before mana, a mix of arrogance and killing intent mixed into his red eyes, if such eyes could acutally hold such emotion. He held an open hand out to her, already glowing. "Just imagine what would happen to you if I destroyed your only monster... painful thought, hmm? Imagine what it would feel like." He turned his head to Yugi.

"Mana!" Yugi cried, attemtping to get up. His lack of strength buckled his knees and forced him to rely on Jonouchi, Anzu, and Honda to support him to his feet. The demon smirked and looked back to Mana, who had a rather nasty expression on her face.

"Get the hell away from them..." Two steely and calm voices commanded from behind the group.

The demon's hand lost its phosphorescence and his smile widened, turning his head to the newcomer. "Ah... just who I was hoping to see..."

Yugi looked up and he felt hot tears spring to his eyes. All attention was on the newcomer, but he did not move, he simply stood still, glaring daggers at the enemy.

"Atem..." Yugi heard Anzu breathe.

Her certainly looked different from the Atem they had known, but there was no mistaking his identity. His body was taller than he remembered and was now lined with toned but powerful muscle. His skin was darkly tanned, as one from Egypt would have. His hair was no longer spiked up, but had been pulled back into a rather unruly ponytail, and his goled bangs still fell to frame his dark face. His eyes, though shaded by his hair, were the most noticable things about him at this moment for they glowed with a violet light. On his brow shining in brilliant gold was the symbol of the Sennen Items, an eye. His body was dressed in a tight black sleeveless shirt, and long baggy jeans. Golden bangles sat on his forearms, and over one also hung a wristwatch. his ears bore golden cuffs and small golden hoops, and a thin golden chain hung around his neck.

The demon stood from his crouched position and gave an arrogant smirk. "So... you show yourself a second time, your Highness. I heard about your fight with Yomini. We feared you dead."

Atem smirked. "I am not so easily gotten rid of. You must be Yomisan, the third of the San Oni." Yugi shivered at the voice that came from his mouth. It was not just his own. His words were being echoed by a second voice, the second one seeming vaguely familiar. But the echoed voiced and his odd appearance reminded him subtely of Malik when he had been possessed by the spirit of his Sennen Rod. Atem spoke again. "You ready Mahado?" He inquired firmly. Oddly enough, he nodded as if responding to his own question. His body darted foreward, a hand extended. Green light formed around his hand, and after a moment it launched toward the enemy. "Black Magic!"

The demon had retreated by the time the energy hit. Atem stood straight, his breaths coming in short gasps, but a smile was on his face as he turned to the spectators. Yugi darted to his feet, pushing himself out of Jonouchi and Honda's arms, and stumbled over to where Atem was. "Mou hitori no Boku!" he cried, throwing his arms around the man's middle. Atem placed a hand on Yugi's head and looked up to the others who were running toward them, and then to Mana, who floated over. Atem smiled at Mana.

"Good to see you again, my student."

Mana paused. The voice that echoed the Pharaoh's was suddenly very familiar. "Oshisho-sama...?" She put a hand on Yugi's shoulder, causing him to look up at her, then looked to Atem. "Oshisho-sama(5)... what are you...?"

"Oshisho-sama?" Yugi repeated, taking a step back. "Mana, what are you talking about?"

Man pointed at Atem. "This is Oshisho-sama... but I don't understand how..."

Atem chuckled. "You are as attentive as ever, Mana." He put a hand to his chest. "I am both the Pharaoh and Mahado, the Black Magician."

Yugi paused. "What...? How is that possible?"

"The Pharaoh had a technique that he rarely used in his lifetime, considering the enemies he fought mostly required the mobility of a monster. But here, it is more useful since he is able to join the fight himself on common ground." He explained simply.

"Wait... join the fight himself...? Like... fusion?" Yugi guessed.

Atem nodded. "Hai, Young Oji-sama. The Pharaoh fused himself with his most trusted monster, Black Magician."

Jonouchi gave him a once over. "No armor like that time in India, ne(6)?"

Atem shook his head. "No, no armor."

"Just... glowing eyes and that symbol on your forehead." Anzu pointed out, staring at his face.

Atem nodded. Honda spoke up. "Wait... last time Atem used a fusion... it drained him of all his energy. It's not like that again, is it?"

Atem looked down. "I'm afraid it is, Honda-kun. But it is rather worse." He put a hand to his chest. "He had remained bonded with me for nearly an hour now. My spirit is the only thing keeping him standing now."

"Is he alright?" Yugi inquired immediately.

Atem nodded subtely. "He's alive, but only just. His body is weak. Therefore, I must go before I kill my Lord with my presence."

The glow was suddenly lost from his eyes, and the symbol on his forehead faded and vanished. His eyes remained lifeless, and his body went limp, dropping to the ground until Anzu rushed foreward and caught him awkwardly into her arms. She knelt on the ground, allowing most of his weight to rest on the grass beneath her, and the others took up places by his side. Mana picked up Atem's hand, feeling its chill. She held it out to Yugi. "Quickly, Oji-sama... take his hand."

Yugi paused before taking it from her, and holding it against his own chest. "He's so cold..." he repeated her thoughts.

Mana nodded. "Yes... he is near death."

Yugi growled. "Why did he do that to himself? Why did he join with a monster for so long if it takes so much out of him?"

Mana looked down. "As Shadi said, his love for you four has clouded his judgement."

"Listen, whatever the reason, we need to get him to a hospital. he's dying!" Jonouchi cried, standing. Honda attempted to take Atem from Anzu's arms, but Mana stopped him.

"Wait... a hospital is of no use to him now. He needs no medicine, for no medicine can heal his sickness." Honda sighed and sat down, as did Jonouchi.

"Sickness?" Anzu repeated. "Mana... what's wrong with him?"

Mana looked to his sleeping form. "Well... he's dead..." she muttered.

Jonouchi blinked. "He doesn't look dead to me..."

Mana shook her head. "Though his body moves, his soul rightfully belongs in the land of the dead. His soul is not meant to inhabit that body a second time, and so has created abnormalities in it."

"So... will his body die again...?" Yugi inquired, his eyes betraying heavy fear and anxiety.

"Not yet... He is simply tired very easily. There is no medicine that can fix that. You cannot truly revive the dead. It defies nature, and so, abnormalities like this occur." She traced a hand along his face. "There is really only one way to give him the energy he lacks."

Yugi looked down at his limp hand, held in his own. "Don't tell me... it's me, right?" He rolled his eyes. "That seems to be the answer lately."

Mana shrugged. "The bond you shared with the Pharaoh was powerful, Oji-sama. Considering that, it is expected that you would be the one to help him."

"How is Yugi helping him?" Jonouchi inquired. "He still looks unconscious to me." He continued, looking over Atem's sleeping face.

"Weather or not Oji-sama can feel it, the Pharaoh's soul is siphoning energy off of Oji-sama's. The Pharaoh received energy from him before and it has become a subconscious action now, and it is doing it again. Whenever you touch, the Pharaoh's soul will being taking a small amount of energy to keep him well."

Yugi looked down at him, noting the slow rate at which his chest moved. "He's very cold... and his breathing is so slow..."

Mana sighed. "I told you, a body cannot fully revive from the dead. His body functions almost as if the soul were not present. As for his breathing... his heart is simply not as strong as it once was."

"His heart?" Anzu repeated. She pressed a hand to his chest. "You're right. His heartbeat is so slow. It's firm, though."

"It has slowly been getting weaker over the almost three years since his return." Mana answered, putting a hand to his head.

"Years?" Honda repeated. "He's been alive for years? Why did anyone wait until now to tell us about this?"

Mana looked down. "Without a source of energy for his soul, we didn't expect him to live this long. We expected his heart to give out weeks ago. Plus, he just arrived in Japan last week. We didn't think he would make it this far, and there was noreason getting all of your hopes up if he was to die before he reached you."

"But now that he's with Yugi, he'll be fine, right?" Anzu inquired, a cautious smile playing on her lips. "His heart will grow strong again?"

Mana shook her head. "Even if Oji-sama continues to give him energy, it will only last so long. His heart will simply give out sooner or later. Now that he's back with you, I'd give it about a month." Though her voice seemed rather emotionless, her eyes communicated deep sorrow.

Yugi's breath caught in his throat. "A... a month...?"

Mana looked away. "Forgive me, Oji-sama. That is all his heart has left. After passing through death as he has, it is astounding that he can even move..." She stood.

"But... why does he have to suffer more? Hasn't he gone through enough?" Anzu demanded. "Why does he have to go through this as well?"

"The Dark Realm has severe punishment for those who break the laws of life and death." she sighed, then bowed and vanished. Yugi felt energy flood back to him, but he payed it little mind.

Honda gulped heavily. "So... even though we decided not to take him back to the Dark Realm... he's going to die anyway?"

Yugi felt hot tears trickle down his face. Weather he was delighted or crushed, even he could not tell. The hope had been within their grasp... but just before they closed their fingers around it, it was taken once again. Defying nature, huh? But wasn't the one enforcing this punishment the Dark Realm itself? If the Dark Realm didn't enforce this, then no one would. But the Pharaoh had overpowered Zorc before... who's to say he couldn't do it again? But was it only Zorc that was causing these problems, or had Atem truly brought this upon himself?

Small drops of salty water hit Atem's peaceful face. Anzu pulled his body closer to her, crying into his slowly moving chest. "We can't let them do this to him." She muttered into his shirt. "It's not fair... He shouldn't have to die for this..."

"Maybe he won't have to." Yugi muttered, clutching his hand closer.

Anzu sat up a bit more, letting her arms relax Atem's form further into her lap. "What do you mean...? Mana just said..."

"Mana was speaking assuming Mou hitori no Boku's body was like that of anyone else." He answered, staring at the pavement before him. "Mou hitori no Boku is the master of the Shadows, King of the Dark Realm, like Shadi said." Yugi looked to his sleeping double's face. "If it wants to take his life, it has to ask his permission first."

"What about his heart...?" Jonouchi asked nervously. "That's what Mana was talking about."

"He's already survived by himself far past what she and the others thought he would. Now that he has my energy to use, he should be fine."

Anzu nodded and Jonouchi chuckled quietly. "Yeah... Atem is a hard one to predict."

"Guys!" Honda motioned to Atem as the former king groaned weakly and his face cringed into consciousness. His amber eyes fluttered a few times before opening halfway and giving a weak smile as his eyes fell on the one most directly in his line of vision.

"Aibou..." he muttered.

"Mou hitori no Boku!" Yugi felt his tears begin anew as his other's rich voice reached his ears. "Mou hitori no Boku!" Yugi grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into a sitting position, then into a fierce hug. Atem coughed weakly before raising a gentle hand to wrap across Yugi's shoulders. "My god..." Yugi muttered. "I didn't know if you were going to wake up..."

Atem chuckled. "I didn't do all that work to get here just to sleep the whole time." Atem jumped slightly as he felt two arms encircle him from behind, wrapping under his arms and across his chest. He smiled and placed a hand over the arms. "Anzu."

"Welcome back, Atem..." She muttered against his shoulder. She released him and mved around to face him. "How do you feel?"

Atem smiled. "A lot better than I have in a while."

Two hands clapped against his back and he smiled up at the two young men that connected to them. "Jonouchi... Honda... good to see you again."

Jonouchi scrubbed at his eyes. "You have no idea, Atem!"

Yugi stood, pulling at Atem's hand. "Can you stand, Mou hitori no Boku? We should get back to the house! We have so much to catch up on!"

Atem nodded, working himself onto his feet. "I'll be alright." He glanced around, then brightened and headed off to the side, garrbing his small duffel bag before turning back and following them back toward the house.

* * *

Kitty-chan: Yay! I get to write for Atem now! Oh! I drew a pic of Atem's new look and posted it on my deviantart page. The link is in my bio. Check it out! Here are the translations!

1. Ohayo: Good morning (casual)  
2. Sugeh: Amazing  
3. Ike: Go!  
4. Daijobou: Are you alright?  
5. Oshisho-sama: Master-sama  
6. "No armor like that time in India, ne?"- Referring to the Capsule Monster Mini-series

Okay... next up, the preview!

* * *

"You've been alive since a year after the Ceremonial battle!"

* * *

"Atem... we need you to help us..." Jonouchi gave him a look that the ancient man had never seen on his face before.

* * *

Yugi could help but laugh at the look on the tall brunette's face. "You have to understand that the Atem you knew was the one that was pretending to be me. The true Atem... let's just say he's cruder."

* * *

Well, that's about all for now. See you next time! Next chapter; _Changes!..._


	6. Changes! The New Atem!

Kitty-chan: Finally! Something was up with for a long time, and I couldn't log in, much less upload anything, so forgive the small break. XD I have two chapters to post here, so I hope you're not smothered. So... yeah. Hmmm... stuff to say about this chapter... Not much to say. Hope you enjoy it! h, and I dun own Yugi-Oh. I only own the San Oni. Dey're mine. They're ebil, but their mine. XD Name translations real fast...

**Name Translations**:  
Muto Yugi: Yugi Moto  
Katsuya Jonouchi: Joey Wheeler  
Hiroto Honda: Tristan Taylor  
Mazaki Anzu: Tea Gardener

Stuff with the (#) next to it is translated at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Atem sighed as he was placed gently onto the couch, smiling and waving away Jonouchi and Honda, who seemed to be ready to help further. "I'm fine, guys... I promise."

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Fine people don't collapse twice on a fifteen minute walk."

Atem chuckled nervously. "Don't worry about that. I was simply fused with Mahado for too long. I'll be alright." He sat up straighter. "Besides, I'm sitting now, and you told me that we had catching up to do."

Jonouchi nodded. "Yeah. And I claim first subject." He plopped onto the floor and looked up at him. "How the hell did you get here if your body was on that island west of Egypt?"

Atem gave a laugh. "I figured you'd wonder about that. It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that, but to be honest, things worked out better than one could've expected..."

**Flashback**

Unseeing amber eyes opened, a silent groan attempted to force its way past unactive vocals. The glow around the body vanished within minutes of the soul's arrival, and the heavy body toppled to the ground. The cold stone felt odd on his arms and face. Sensation... he was feeling things... not through the body of another, but through his own body. Everything around him was silent and at first he figured that to be simple isolation, but something told him that silence he heard was not due to a lack of noise, but a lack of hearing. His hands pressed to the ground, shivering at the usage after so long. He worked himself onto his knees, panting as strength began to return and revitalize his muscles.

It took several minutes before he was able to get to his feet, his legs weary and shaky due to lack of use. He stood for a long while before he gathered the strength to take a step. The step was wobbly and didn't support him well, causing him to topple over onto the side. He gave a silent grunt of frustration, and tried again. Knees. Stand. Step. Fall. He lay on the ground for a long while, attempting to figure out what was wrong.

_"In the years of the preservation spells, my senses had been temporarily wiped as well as my muscle memory. I had no ability to walk without deep concentration."_

Realizing his legs were not going to get him anywhere, he got to his knees and plopped simply back to sit on his butt, glancing around the area. He truly had no way to tell if his sight had gone with his hearing and speech for no light was permitted in the small cave. Putting a quivering hand to his chin, his mind rushed about, attempting to figure out some way to illuminate the area.

_"I knew that the Egyptians had expected my return, so there had to be some way to get some light. I finally figured that everything in that room had to be activated by my Ba and Ka."_

He held his hands out to the sides, allowing a small amount of energy to seep out and explore the cave. His energy came in small snake-like waves, weaving all around, feeling along walls, finding holes or decorations in the floors. They flew to the ceiling, detecting how high it was, and eventually, one of them found a small golden piece, activated by the Ka of the Pharaoh, firing several torches along the walls to life. Light came as a shock to his newly revitalized eyes. He grunted and shielded them, looking about. He saw no details on the walls, though his energy told him they were there. He saw nothing but a fuzzy world as his optics attempted to recalibrate. Now somewhat seeing his surroundings, he worked himself to his feet once more, and attempted to take a step, staring at his feet the whole time, as if, once he kept his eyes on them, they would suddenly work. He did not topple over this time, but he did wobble, leaning over too far and attempting to use his feet to regain his balance. This allowed him to fall against a wall, using it for support. His energy continued to circle the area, and as one neared the western wall, his eyes went wide.

There were people down here...

_"I found out later that they were a construction crew of sorts. The Egyptian people weren't all that happy about the tomb of the Sennen Stone being lost in that place, so they sent a crew to attempt to dig out the collapsed cave. Not because I was in it, but because throughout history, that was a sacred cave, and it was now inaccessable."_

Keeping his energy snake there, he stumbled his way over to the wall, his energy circling his body and the indicated wall, for a way to open a door, and luckily, it took mere moments to find a second golden device. A Ka snake was drawn in, and a heavy door became apparent, sliding away to reveal a mostly cleared cave area. He took a step into the cave and glanced around. He could see no figures that obviously distinguished themselves, though that really didn't mean anything. He took another few shaky steps, congratulating himself on not toppling over. But his legs were begining to strain with effort. He opened his mouth, but still nothing came out. His eyes frantically dashing about, he spotted a source of brilliant light coming from a staircase. It wasn't directly on him enough to hurt his eyes just yet as he knew from his first visit here that it was long staircase. He took a few steps in that direction before an obstruction of the light told him a person had come down. He heard muffled noises and after a few moments several other garbled tones were added. He opened his mouth again, but instead of silence this time, a mere garbled moan came out. His legs gave out and as one man caught him, his consciousness fled.

**End Flashback**

"I woke up in a hospital three days later. By then almost all my senses had returned, but I still couldn't speak. My voice had returned, but my throat had forgotten the feel of the Egyptian language. I could understand what was being said to me, but I couldn't speak back. Needless to say, it was very difficult for the next few months. I found out I was in Cairo, where the construction crew was operated from. It took me a few weeks, but I started getting the hang of the Egyptain language. Once I was able to have a steady conversation with people, they released me from the hospital. I began looking for Isis and Maliku, but found out they had moved."

Yugi nodded. "I remember getting a letter from them. They were headed to southern Egypt to do some excavation."

"Yes, and without money or even a good technique in speaking, I knew I had no way of getting to them. I talked to the men who found me and thanked them for their help, and once they heard of my situation, they suggested I get a job. I hadn't even gotten to the concept of coming back here to find you yet, but I knew getting a job would be a good idea. But I needed a place to stay first. The men there suggested that I sell the gold I was wearing. By then I had been given a simple change of clothes, but I had forbidden them from removing my gold. I figured it wouldn't come back. To be honest, I figured it a good idea, though I was certainly not parting with my headdress. It was far too valuable for me to sell, and it was unnecissary. The bands on my upper arms got me a nice enough apartment for a while." He pointed to the bands that wrapped around his wrists. "I kept these, as you can see. After all, by the time I needed to pay rent again, I had a job and the money to pay. I was working full-time as a blacksmith's assisstant. Some lingering memories from my past life left me with some ability to work with gold. After a little training, I was very good. Not to mention that the place in Egypt where I was, we had a pretty steady business."

Jonouchi chuckled. "That would explain why you look so built."

Atem blushed. He certainly hadn't bulked up. His muscles had simply hardened rather than enlarged like most men would have. Perhaps it was simply fate that he was doomed to a slender and graceful body no matter how much he tried to change it. "Anyway... it took me about a year to get on my feet, getting back to speed with Egyptian customs and the language... I still can't write the language very well... there wasn't much time to learn that kind of thing. I also had to relearn Japanese before I could come back. I can't read or write a word of it, but I can understand it." He smiled. "It took me a few years to save up enough money to buy a ticket over here. After all, an assistant doesn't make much money, and I had to support myself in the meantime. But like I said, it gave me time to catch up on the things my body had lost."

"I remember someone mentioning that you've been alive for a few years now... is that true?" Anzu continued.

"Yeah." Atem sighed. "All that stuff I told you about waking up... that happened about... two and a half years ago."

Honda's jaw dropped. "You've been alive since a year after the Ceremonial Battle!"

Atem gave a chuckle. "Well... yeah... I suppose I have. I would've called, but I had no clue how to find the number of Yugi Muto. With how famous he's become... anyone who tries to find his number is suspected of stalking. I didn't wanna get in trouble with the law or your adoring fans."

Yugi blushed and quickly moved on. "Also... Mana said you've been in Japan for a week now. Why haven't we seen you?"

Atem smiled. "Actually, it's been nearly two weeks now. I tried to hide myself from the Dark Realm for the first few days, but Mahado figured out where I was, so I just gave in and let them track me down. I actually wanted to contact you last week, but Yomini made sure I couldn't."

"Yomini..." Yugi muttered. "So it _was_ you who saved Jonouchi and I from Yomini."

Atem chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. I was headed to your house when I sensed Yomini's presence. I followed it over to Jonouchi's house, and after you two passed out, Mahado held off Yomini until I could get a 911 call in. After that, Yomini and I began a fight where I used fusion. The fight lasted the rest of the night, so once I got back to my hotel, I ended up sleeping for three days straight."

"From being drained so much in using Fusion?" Honda guessed.

"Yes. Once I woke up, I tried to contact you again, but the San Oni came after me again. The fights were short, but there were a lot of them. The last attack was on Friday, and when Saturday came and nothing had happened, I figured I needed to find you fast. They'd most likely be coming after the only people I'm close to in this world." He glanced at Anzu. "And it appears as if I was right."

Anzu nodded. "Yeah. Yugi's met all three of the San Oni now."

"In regards to that, it's my turn to pick a topic." Atem looked to Yugi. "Tell me about your encounters with the San Oni. Perhaps you can fill in some blanks for me. And I can fill in some for you."

Yugi looked to the floor. "I met Yomichi a little over a week ago. He had slipped past Kaiba Corp security and went after Kaiba. Kaiba really took a beating, and he said that even from the very beginning, he was looking for me. Same with Yomini. He was attacking Jonouchi, but the entire time, he was looking for me. I haven't gathered too much about their actual abilities. Yomichi seems to have some kind of draining power. Kaiba said that whenever Yomichi touched him, he felt like something was being sucked out of him. And when he grabbed me, his hand got really hot and all my energy was being drawn into his hand. It was weird."

Atem put a finger to his chin. "And you say that he was able to beat up Kaiba, huh?" He gave a shadow of a smirk. "That suggests that he is an exceptional fighter. That can be useful for future reference."

"How?" Anzu raised an eyebrow.

Atem pointed at Jonouchi. "Well, we all know Jonouchi is an exceptional fighter, so he could possibly match his skill. And..." He looked to Yugi. "Can I see your deck?" Yugi produced his deck and handed it over.

Atem pulled the card off the top and held it up; Strike Ninja. "Fusion with a monster that knows exceptional martial arts can allow me to fight with you." He placed the card back and motioned to Yugi. "Continue."

"Yomini was the second one we met. It's obvious what he can do. He's a shapeshifter. He used the appearance of Jonouchi's dad to get to him." He glanced over to Atem. "And he can read minds. He knew everything I was thinking that night. It was eerie."

Atem nodded. "Yeah... I remember that about him. He's a tough opponent. He reads your mind, finds someone it would be difficult for you to fight, then becomes that person. He battles not only on a physical platform, but also a mental one. Meaning your mind and your body must be trained in order to stand a chance." He paused. "And I assume that today was the first time you met Yomisan?"

Yugi nodded. "Last week was weird though... none of them attacked anyone. We didn't hear a whisper of trouble the whole week."

Atem chuckled. "That's cause they were coming after me."

"I suppose so. Do you know anything about Yomisan besides the fact that he can turn invisible?" Honda inquired.

Atem looked down. "Not all that much. I only met him once before and at that time, I didn't even see him. I couldn't figure out what I was fighting. After putting together what I saw last week and what I saw today... there aren't too many conclusions I can make. The only thing I know is... he has the ability to manipulate the shadows. At least... that's what I'm sensing."

Yugi nodded. "Yeah! I sensed the same thing back there. How else would he have been able to stop Mana's attack so easily?"

Anzu leaned foreward. "What exactly does that mean? To have the ability to manipulate the shadows?"

Atem looked up at her. "It means that he has some semblance of the soul. The Dark Realm feeds off of every negative thought... every evil deed, and every horrible emotion that a human soul can give out. In order for you to manipulate the Shadow Realm, not only must you have some bond to that evil, but you must also have a soul's energyto serve as a link between your body and that power." He looked to Yugi.

"But you and Yugi aren't evil... how are you able to manipulate it?"

Atem sighed. "Every person on this planet has evil somewhere in their hearts. There's no escaping it. And it takes a lot of work for someone to actually use that darkness to manipulate the Dark Realm. Yugi and I have one common link that made us easily aware of that darkness."

"The Sennen Puzzle." Yugi muttered.

Atem nodded. "In order for a normal person to manipulate the Shadow Realm, as Yugi has already stated, you must become more aware of your soul's energy. But not just any energy... you must become aware of the darkness in your soul. You have to face that evil in you... learn to control it... then use it for your own gain."

Jonouchi suddenly stood. "Atem... we need you to help us." He gave him a look that the ancient man had never seen on his face before.

"What is it, Jonouchi?" Atem cocked his head slightly.

Jonouchi motioned to himself, Honda, and Anzu. "Teach us to use the shadows like you and Yugi do. We want to help fight, and we can't do that like we used to. We can't duel our way out of this. We'll need the skills that you two have in order to do it."

Atem stared at him for a long moment. "Teach you...? I don't think you want to do that, Jonouchi... messing with Zorc is dangerous business. I would actually prefer it if Yugi didn't tamper with it, but he already has. I don't think you really understand what you are asking."

Anzu stood. "We do, too, Atem! We want to help you two fight, and the only way we can do that is if we know ho to summon and fight like you do! Even if we're never as good as you are, we want to do what we can."

Honda nodded. "Yeah! There's no way we're leaving this entirely to you two!"

Atem sighed, chuckling. "Well... I suppose I could teach you a little. After all... even if you don't get good enough to fight, you would at least know how to defend yourself."

Jonouchi smirked confidently. "You speak as if you expect us to fail."

Atem waved his hands. "No... I think you can do it alright."

"Not what it sounded like." Honda chuckled.

"Uh... moving on." Atem muttered quickly, shifting his weight. "How have you been these past few years? Please tell me you haven't spent it entirely on Duel Monsters."

Yugi gave a small laugh and shook his head. "I certainly didn't drop it, but as if that was all I had time for. We're all about to graduate high school." He motioned to the group. "Other than that... the only big news is the idea that they've opened a new dueling academy overseas somewhere where kids strictly learn to duel. It's odd, really."

Jonouchi slung an arm around Yugi's shoulders. "Heh... and Yugi here has become a pure celebrity. His deck's been on tour all over the world, and he gets begged for autographs whenever some of the duelist students come over for a visit. They treat your former dueling areas like holy ground. I swear I saw some kids kissing the ground where you earned Osiris."

Atem blushed. "Well... that's utterly disturbing."

Yugi shivered. "You're telling me. Imagine all those crazed kids all coming to you at once for autographs."

Atem gave a slight chuckle, but silenced himself so as not to offend his small double. He opened his mouth to speak when the door seemed to fly open and a towering figure loomed into the doorway, his blue eyes staring down at the group. Atem's eyes narrowed. "Kaiba." He muttered.

Kaiba had readied himself to speak, but halted when he noticed the newcomer and his resemblance to Yugi. "Wait... what the hell!"

Atem laughed aloud. "Nice recovery there, Kaiba."

Yugi stood, waving his hand at the ancient man. "Can we help you, Kaiba?"

Kaiba continued to stare at Atem, who merely glared back at him. Finally, the taller muttered, "I came to check and see if you guys had any information on that man that attacked me."

Atem waved his hand. "We'll contact _you_, how about that?" He muttered. Yugi shushed him.

Kaiba moved Yugi out of the way and stared intently at Atem, his analyzing blue eyes crossing over every feature and nuance of his face. "You're... the Pharaoh? How the hell did you get back here?"

Atem sighed. "Long story. I've already explained it once... not interested in explaining it again."

"Somehow you're back, though." Kaiba confirmed, stepping back and looking about.

"More or less." Atem answered blithely.

Kaiba clenched a fist and smirked. "Then I challenge you to a duel. I want to see how your skills alone are compared to Yugi's. All the times before I was battling you both. I want to see what you alone are capable of."

Atem stared at him for a moment. He certainly hadn't expected a challenge from Kaiba where he and he alone was the challenged. It seemed so alien to hear Kaiba accepting the alter ego bit. None the less, he waved his hand, shaking his head. "I don't think so."

Kaiba seemed stunned. "You're rejecting my challenge? Too scared to take me on since I can probably take the fake Yugioh?"

Atem stood, dusting off his pants. A hand went to his chest and he chuckled deeply. "You might actually win against me this time, Kaiba." Kaiba snorted indignantly at the word actually, but crossed his arms as Atem continued. "But I fight a different way now, and there are more pressing issues at hand that must be dealt with right now. A duel would not be wise. It would simply be wasting time."

"Wasting time? You vanish for nearly four years and you call it a waste of time!" He demanded. "I've been waiting for this!"

"Waiting for what? You knew I had died. You couldn't have known I was coming back. What you were waiting for was an unfulfilled wish, Kaiba. Stop being pathetic." However, Atem couldn't deny his impression at his rival's persistance. "But if it means that much to you... let's battle after the current issue is dealt with."

Kaiba growled. "And how long will that be?" he demanded.

"You expect me to know?" Atem inquired, almost laughing. Kaiba growled and established a powerful grip on the collar of Atem's shirt, pulling him over. Atem quickly slapped his hand away and sighed. "Oh, screw off, Kaiba." He muttered as he headed out. _Seto turned into that punk? My ass._

There was an awkward silence that followed Atem's exit, specifically wondering at the words he had used. Yugi couldn't help but laugh at the look on the tall brunette's face. "You have to understand that the Atem you knew was the one pretending to be me. The true Atem... let's just say he's cruder."

Anzu raised an eyebrow. "That's gonna take some getting used to."

* * *

Kitty-chan: There we go. Finally another chapter. Hope you liked. Things start to heat up a bit in the next chapter, I promise. XD Anyway... no translations this time. Just a preview.

* * *

"Beginners?" Anzu repeated. "You mean you can summon without a card?"

* * *

"If too much of your Ka is drained away, your soul could be pulled right out of your body, and be trapped in the Shadow Realm."

* * *

Yomichi laughed again. "I see. You would abuse the trust your all-powerful Pharaoh had put in you to get revenge on the one who created you?" He shrugged, subtely motioning to himself.

* * *

Yugi and Anzu hit the ground as Atem suddenly stood, his glowing eyes filled completely with rage. "Get away from me!" he shouted, balling his fists at his sides.

* * *

"It means that my heart is feeble."

* * *

There we go. That's about all for now. Stay tuned for the next chapter; _The Ka House..._


	7. The Ka House! A Feeble Heart!

Kitty-chan: Told you I had two written. Once again, the site was doing soething weird and I couldn't upload for a while. Anyway... here's chapter seven and chapter eight is rather short, so that should be up soon. Hope you like this chapter. I loved writing it. XD

I don't own Yugi-Oh. I only own the San Oni and the plot for this story. Foo...

**Name Translations**:  
Muto Yugi: Yugi Moto  
Katsuya Jonouchi: Joey Wheeler  
Hiroto Honda: Tristan Taylor  
Mazaki Anzu: Tea Gardener

Stuff with (#) next to it is translated at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

"Alright, Atem-sensei(1)... teach." Jonouchi prompted, seating himself firmly on the ground and waving his hand at the ancient man. Atem blushed and sighed.

"I told you... I'm not a teacher. I don't know if I'll be able to teach you very well."

"Well... there isn't exactly anyone else." Honda pointed out as Yugi lead Anzu into the backyard.

"I don't suppose so but still..." Atem scratched the back of his head self-consciously.

Yugi joined Atem at the front of the group and smiled. "Just do your best, Mou hitori no Boku."

Atem nodded and pulled a deck of cards from his pocket. "You've probably noticed that when Yugi summoned the monsters he used, he first held up a card." There was a general agreement among the three. "The card is not really all that important, but it acts as a medium for beginners."

"Beginners?" Anzu repeated. "You mean you can summon without a card?"

Atem nodded. "The card simply makes things easier. And I'll use cards as well if I'm stretched for concentration." He thought over his words for a long moment before speaking. Yugi seemed interested as well. He didn't know summoning was possible without the use of the card as a medium. "Think about what you are doing when you summon. You are casting a bridge of energy from your soul into the shadow realm and pulling out a monster. As to which monster you grab... the energy you use will act as if it had eyes and seek out a particular monster... but it will only seek out the monster you are thinking of. So the monster you want must be envisioned clearly in your mind."

Yugi hummed. "So... if I wanted to summon the Black Magician Girl, but I randomly thought of the Red Eyes Black Dragon instead..." he trailed off to allow Atem to continue.

"You would end up summoning the dragon instead. That can be very dangerous, and I'll explain why in a little bit. But... to give you a more clear perspective on what the card does..." He pointed to the cloudless sky above them. "You see those birds up there?" The group looked up. "Imagine if you were trying to throw a rope around one of those birds. It's an odd analogy, but bear with me." He looked back to them. "Imagine the rope is your energy. That rope will wrap around any one of those birds that you think of, correct? But... you must think of the exact bird you want first. The card comes into play by showing you a perfect picture of the monster. By focusing on that picture, your energy will seek out the monster on the card. The picture keeps the image in your mind fresh and makes sure your concentration is firm."

"Cool... so... if I have the Flame Swordsman card, and I push energy into the Shadow Realm while concentrating on the picture on the card, I will summon the Flame Swordsman because I can clearly see what he looks like." Jonouchi repeated.

Atem nodded. "Now... about what Yugi said with the mix up of Red Eyes Black Dragon and Black Magician Girl... that is extremely dangerous."

"Why's that?" Anzu inquired.

"Different monsters take different amount of energy to summon. Once a monster feels a human's energy call it, the monster will automatically absorb the correct amount of energy to summon it. But... if you reach into the shadow realm and your energy acidentally seeks out the wrong monster, you could end up summoning a monster far more powerful than you intended."

"I don't see the problem." Honda muttered.

Atem sighed. "If your Ka is not experienced, you only have a small amount to offer to a summoned monster. If the monster is more powerful than you intended and your Ka is not sufficient to sustain that monster, the monster will suck your energy dry trying to summon itself. If too much of your Ka is drained away, your soul could be pulled right out of your body, and be trapped in the Shadow Realm."

Jonouchi and Honda gulped.

Anzu blanched.

Yugi just chuckled.

Atem sighed. "But... that's why you have the cards. It will prevent that from happening." He plopped down to sit in front of them and crossed his legs. "Now... the first step in learning to summon I suppose, would be to become aware of the energy it requires to summon." He put two hands over his heart. "Your Ka, or soul energy, is housed in your heart, and there are two different types of energy in your Ka house. There is Dark Ka, and Light Ka. The Ka you want is only the Dark Ka." The group took a few seconds to place hands over hearts as if expecting to hear the difference between the two in the simple beating. Even Yugi seemed to be following the steps.

Atem continued. "In order for you to harness the Dark Ka, you must first understand what it is." He paused and sighed. "Dark Ka is born whenever an evil... perverse... or even rude thought crosses your mind. Energy is born from those thoughts and the actions that result from them and stored in your Ka house along with your Light Ka. In order to access this Ka, you don't need to rethink or revisit those thoughts, you merely need to accept and acknowledge fully that you have those thoughts and feelings."

Jonouchi paused. "Acknowledge...? Wait... all we have to do is admit we have them and that's it?"

Atem smirked. "You make it sound like it's easy."

Anzu shrugged. "It doesn't seem like much. It seems like everyone should be able to access the Shadow Realm if that's all it takes."

Atem shook his head. "Humans are proud. People generally don't like to admit that they are less than perfect. I'm not putting you down. I'm human too. Most people never once in their lives admit that they have a darker half to their soul. And it isn't just simply something you can say. Words can lie." His amber eyes grew very serious. "You must truly and fully accept that darkness... with your whole mind, you must acknowledge and admit that you have evil in you." He leaned in slightly. "But even then, you must be careful. For if you are to not only admit to that darkness, but also to embrace it, you could end up like Bakura, full of anger and dispair and unable to stop himself from destroying even if he wanted to."

Jonouchi shuddered. "This is creepy."

Atem leaned back and a more casual air settled about him. "I told you I didn't want you messing with this for a reason. It's dangerous business and it's not easy."

Anzu sighed, then looked to Yugi, who sat still, staring down at the grass beneath his knees. "Atem... I have a question."

"Hmm?"

Anzu looked to him now. "Did you ever go through this with Yugi? He can summon after all."

Atem shook his head. "No. Yugi and I never really talked about this."

Yugi quirked an eyebrow. "I've been wondering that. I've never done this admittance thing before and I'm fully aware of my Dark Ka. How did that happen?"

Atem leaned back, placing his weight on the heels of his hands. "That's what makes the Sennen Items so powerful... and evil. It bypasses this stage so not only are you automatically completely aware of your Dark Ka... but you have no obligation to admit anything. You can manipulate right away, and go on thinking you are perfect. The power can easily delude you in a short amount of time and lead to what happened to Akunahdin. That's why it was so important that high scores were obtained in the Secret Court. Not only were you to be right next to the Pharaoh, but you also were open to corruption by the item that you were given. It took a strong soul to become a Guardian."

"No kidding." Jonouchi muttered. "So... what's the first step in admitting this issue anyway?"

Atem sat up straighter and stared at Jonouchi for a long time, then sighed and placed his hands over his heart. "You first need to become aware of your Ka house. It's similar to meditating. You need to block out all other distractions and focus on the energy coursing through your soul and mind."

Jonouchi and Honda stared at him for a long moment, while Anzu and Yugi got right to work, placing their hands over their chests and closing their eyes to concentrate. Atem chuckled silently and waved Jonouchi and Honda foreward. The two of them took deep breaths before closing their eyes and focusing inward, hoping to grip ahold of this Ka house and study it slightly. As they concentrated, Atem leaned back, staring at the open sky.

_This is insanity. Even if they do manage to acknowledge the yami... how can I allow them to use Zorc's power on their own? It's far too dangerous._ He looked to Yugi._ And I won't put my aibou in that kind of danger when I came here to protect him._

Something caught his senses and he sat upright with a jolt, staring straight at Jonouchi. A dark aura was swimming around his lithe body, snaking along the ground before performing a U turn and slithering back into his body. A dimmer and less impressive one was surrounding Honda and a few small strings surrounded Anzu as well. _They... they did it! How in the hell?_ The dark energy around Yugi was thick and controlled, a sign of someone who fully understood the thing they accessed, but that was no surprise.

"I think I got it." Jonouchi muttered. "I can feel it..." A smirk curved his lips as he spoke.

Atem nodded. "You got it, Jonouchi." He chuckled weakly.

"Same here." Honda added. "It's... creepy... but I can feel the Dark Ka."

"I can tell, Honda. You've got it."

"What about me?" Anzu continued, opening one eye. "I can kinda feel it, but it's not all that strong."

Atem shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It'll get stronger over time."

"Only if given the time to let it develop, oh mighty Pharaoh." A voice from behind hissed.

Atem flung himself to his feet and spun around to face two identicle human-shaped masses of black shroud. Atem scowled at them as he heard the others leap to their feet. He waved his hands at the four others. "Go back into the house, minna."

Yugi appeared at his side. "No chance, Mou hitori no Boku."

Atem growled. "Get out of here, Aibou. They just want me and I'm not going to let you get involved."

Yugi shook his head. "I'm involved already. I've tusseled with these guys a few times. I'm going to help."

Jonouchi chuckled. "And we didn't ask you to teach us that stuff for no reason, Atem."

Atem growled as Yomini laughed. "Well... are all the good guys going to join together and be oh-so-brave to save their precious comrade from the bad men?"

Yomichi chuckled. "You handle the four young ones. I can handle the Pharaoh." He dashed foreward, already heading off to his task.

Atem took off, intending to meet him at a run.

Yugi stared at Atem's back as Yomini rushed foreward at him, his hands outstretched as his form began to meld and shiver. Yugi took a step back and pulled his deck from his pocket, pulling theBlack Magician Girl from the top and holding it in the air. "Mana! I summon you to protect your Lord!"

Lightning flashed and thunder clapped as the young magician materialized between her summoner and the charging demon, who by now had seemingly vanished. In his place stood a short grey-haired man, a bandana covering his head and a confused expression on his face. "Yugi...? What's going on?" He inquired slowly. "You just summoned a real monster..."

Yugi stopped and Mana turned to give him a quirked eyebrow. "Jii-chan?" Yugi muttered, cocking his head.

Jonouchi put a hand on Yugi's shoulder. "Don't be fooled, Yugi... that's Yomini. I saw him change. It's not your Grandfather."

Yugi glanced to the hand, then to his grandfather, his violet eyes widening as the older man appeared directly in his face, landing a powerful punch to Yugi's gut. Yugi gagged slightly and dropped to the ground, rolling onto his side and clutching at his middle.

"Oji-sama!" Mana turned and brought her staff down across the imitation's temple, which seemed to have very little effect. The creature was successfully thrown a few feet away, but he got up mere moments afterward.

Honda growled and looked to Jonouchi. "I don't suppose you have a deck with you, do you?"

Jonouchi produced the small pile of cards, and Honda grabbed the first one he saw, glancing at it, then sighing. "Alright Gearfried... you'd better not let me down!" He shot the card into the air and concentrated with all his might, attempting to push the newly discovered energy through the card and into the Shadow Realm. "Come on... come on...!"

On the other side of the yard, where Anzu's eyes were locked, Atem had engaged in a small fist fight with the second of the present demons. A fist grazed Atem's cheek and as the Pharaoh dodged to the side, he fell to his knee, bringing his other leg in a horizontal sweep in an attempt to catch the enemy's leg. No luck was had as the demon backflipped out of the way of his sweep, landing on his feet again and rushing in to deliver a powerful kick to Atem's temple. Atem flew backward, landing a few feet away from Anzu, Yugi, and Jonouchi, not paying any attention to Honda's working attempt. He felt blood trickle down his temple as an old wound was re-opened, and his amber eyes flashed dangerously. He worked himself onto his feet and glared at the enemy.

Yomichi chuckled. "You've improved, I'll give you that. After all... the Pharaoh I know would never soil his hands with battle. He was far too perfect to come to the battlefield himself. He would simply manipulate the fight from behind, ne?"

Atem swiped a hand at him. "You're wrong! No one can mess with my head anymore. I have my memories, and I don't need you to tell me how my life went!" Two fingers pressed to his forehead, the Sennen symbol glowing into existance. They then tapped against the left side of his chest, and as they drew away, a golden string of light emerged. He pointed the fingers at the sky and lightning and thunder roared to respond, flashing the Strike Ninja into existance. Atem held his hand toward the ninja and the monster dissolved into a ball of light, dancing about before landing in the palm of his hand. Without hesitation, Atem flattened the hand against his chest, plunging the orb of light deep into his heart and fusing the monster with his body. A yellowish light surrounded his body, and he stood straight, his glowing eyes devoid of pupil and iris.

He chuckled in a voice not just his own. "Let's try this again, Yomichi."

Anzu could help but shiver at the sound of his voice. She simply couldn't get over the evil that seemed to reside behind it. She knew that most monsters had the heavy influence of Zorc in them, but Atem was strong enough to control that, so what was she worried about? Even knowing this, she clutched at her chest in anxiety.

More thunder and lightning roared from above at the successful summon of Gearfried, the Iron Knight, standing powerfully before a panting Honda. Honda pointed at Yomini, sweat trickling down his temple. "Now, go!"

Yomini chuckled, returning to his original form as a mass of human-shaped smoke. "Just because you know how to manipulate your Ka doesn't mean you know how to sustain it. I'll bet you can't last more than a minute with this thing out." He pointed at Gearfried, who stood still in place, not having the proper energy to make a move. He looked back to his summoner.

"Honda-sama(2)..." He muttered. Honda glared at Yomini before his knees hit the ground, his brown eyes turning frantic. Much as he hated to admit it, the creature was right. It was only moments before his monster's sustaining energy would run out and Honda would simply pass out. He growled.

"Hurry! Just attack before I run out of energy!"

Gearfried paused for about half a second before he let loose a battle cry and charged foreward, bringing his sword down at the enemy. Yomini's eyes widened, but he was not slain. He was much too fast for that. He hopped out of the way, but grunted as the Sword was brought up for a second attack.

"Honda!" Jonouchi dashed to the brunette's side as the young man hit the ground, his brown eyes slipping shut and his hold on the monster vanishing. The manster was immediately gone. Jonouchi stood after giving his friend a once-over and growling at the smirking Yomini, as if he had managed to dodge the attack rather than Gearfried disappearing before the attack was complete. "You bastard!" He plunged his hand into his pocket and produced a card. "Scape Goat...?" He sweatdropped. "Okay... I need to get the hang of this will-influenced card-draw."

"While you're at it..." Yugi grunted, getting to his feet. "Let's go, Mana!" A finger pointed at Yomini and Mana dashed into action, flinging her staff at the enemy and unleashing a barrage of greenish balls of light, smacking the ground all around the enemy and kicking up dust and sand all around. She did not stop there as Yugi's anger poured into her, and she vanished into the cloud, swinging her staff wildly around, hoping to hit the enemy at one point or another. As the dust settled, Mana was seen on her own, standing amidst the small craters formed by her attack and glancing around for the enemy.

"He took off." Mana muttered angrily. Yugi scowled, but waved her away, and Mana bowed before vanishing back to the Shadow Realm.

Yugi felt his energy flood back and he knelt beside Honda. "Honda-kun... can you hear me?"

Honda didn't answer, but Jonouchi let out a cry as he produced the Flame Swordsman. "Here it is!" He glanced around and frowned. "I missed it? Damn!"

Aznu waved at them. "Guys... check this out! Atem is battling while fused with the Strike Ninja!"

All eyes turned to the fist-fight, and one had to admit it was a sight to behold. Atem's increased strength, agility, and skill were more than a match for the martial artist of a demon, but the demon was managing to match him move for move. No blow was landed, no body hit the ground. There was not a single strike landed. All they managed to do was block and strike, block and strike. Atem grabbed the enemy's wrist and flung him over himself toward the ground, but Yomichi's feet quickly met the ground first, allowing him to recover immediately and grab Atem's wrist back. He turned to fling Atem around, but the former Pharaoh quickly wrenched his hand from his grasp and twisted his body into a roundhouse kick. Two arms were held up to catch the kick on his forearms, while his foot lashed out to strike at his middle. Atem pushed off of Yomichi's forearms, vaulting his body away from the demon, and quickly brought his other foot up and toward his head. This kick was also blocked and Atem leapt away a few feet, preparing himself for another go.

Yomichi laughed aloud. "This is a treat! I haven't met a fighter like you since before you sealed me, Pharaoh." He placed his hands on his hips. "But you know... you are still using the power of another." He smirked at the Pharaoh... chuckling at his ragged breathing. _Ah... if what I suspect is true... perhaps this will be easier than I thought_.

Atem and the Strike Ninja growled. "That won't work on me, Yomichi! Just shut up and fight!"

Suddenly... he wasn't there.

He was directly in from of him.

Atem's eyes widened as an open hand was pressed against his chest, letting a small pressure of energy jar his heart. Atem let out a scream and dropped to his knees, his hands folded over the left side of his chest. "Damn!" He managed, looking up at Yomichi with one eye.

"Ah..." Yomichi sighed. "The Ka house is weak. Seems that body doesn't quite facilitate the needs of an all-powerful Pharaoh..."

"Maybe not..." Atem muttered. Anzu squeaked slightly. Atem's voice in the spoken words was nearly non-existant. She heard only the Strike Ninja's voice, a deep booming noise that had once echoed Atem's. "But it will easily facilitate mine!"

Yomichi laughed again. "I see. You would abuse the trust your all-powerful Pharaoh has put in you to get revenge on the one who created you?" He shrugged, subtely motioning to himself.

Atem's voice chuckled. "Imprisoned me, you mean...? Damn you, Zorc... you've given birth to these mindless pawns to fight... why can't you come out and face us yourself? It is you we want to kill!"

"Well... weather or not I give birth to creatures such as the San Oni or not is not really your affair. After all... have you forgotten that you are merely the same as Yomichi here save for the fact that you are instilled with twisted human ambition? Remember... you were sealed in stone after being pried from a human soul."

Atem stood fully and cracked his knuckles. "I suppose you'll do, Yomichi. You piss me off almost as much as Zorc himself does."

Yomichi waved a hand at him. "Oh really...? Do forgive me. I didn't mean to upset you. I wasn't aware that brainless pawns had such emotions." Atem growled loudly. Yomichi continued. "Besides. What exactly can you do with a ruined human body like that? The Ka house is damaged and without a healthy Ka house, that body won't last long. Not only have you already betrayed your Lord's trust, but you will kill him if you remain in that body for too long." He leaned back. "Not that I care. His soul will go to the Shadow Realm where we will simply hunt it down and absorb it. Maybe you might even do us a favor by doing that... it's so troublesome to come to this realm. Our forms are hard to maintain."

"Shut up! Do you intend to talk all day, or are you going to fight me!" Atem shouted. Anzu took a step back.

_I don't understand... it's like Atem isn't in there at all... What's happened to him!_

Yomichi waved his hands. "Don't blame me for the state your in. If you want to blame someone, blame those humans back there. Their kind are the ones that created you."

"Shut up!" Atem took a few running steps, but stopped and his hands returned to his chest. His knees hit the ground, and he doubled over, his hands gripped at his shirt. "Damn it..."

Yomichi bent down, looking up close at him. "Told you. A body with a damaged Ka house is of little use to you. Stay in there too long and you'll kill him."

"Stop it!" Yugi shouted, standing and dashing over to stand behind Atem. "Leave him alone!"

Yomichi groaned and placed a hand on his hip. "Can't Yomini do anything right? For God's sake, he can't even take care of a bunch of kids."

Jonouchi stepped up. "We're not to easily 'taken care of'." He held a card in the air. "Flame Swordsman! Come on out!"

Silence.

Jonouchi stared at the card. "Come on... come on, will you!" He brought the card down to face level and glared at it. "It worked for Honda! Damn!"

Yomichi was suddenly in front of him. "Looks like you'll need to work on that."

A fist sent Jonouchi flying backward and into Honda's still body by the house. Jonouchi immediately sat up, wiping blood from his lip. A clap of thunder and a flash of lightning heralded the arrival of a monster and Yomichi immediately got a taste of his own medicine as the Black Magician's staff was hurled across his head. Yomichi fell to the ground, staring up at Mahado beneath the purple hat. He scowled. "Damn brat." Without another word he was gone, leaving little trace he had ever been there.

Mahado vanished instantly, and Yugi dashed to Atem's side, along with Anzu. Jonouchi got to his feet, but stood in place, his angry gaze cast to the ground.

"Atem...?" Anzu whispered.

"Mou hitori no Boku...? Are you alright?"

Yugi and Anzu hit the ground as Atem suddenly stood, his glowing eyes filled completely with rage. "Get away from me!" He shouted, balling his fists at his sides. "Damn you Zorc!" He called to the sky. He then looked to the ground. "Forcing me to betray my master, then leaving before I could kill you... Damn it!" His fist shoved itself into the earth, creating a small crater, and he stood again, glaring daggers at Yugi and Anzu. Anzu slowly stood, taking a few steps toward Atem, her hands outstretched.

Yugi seemed speechless, though part of his mind told him it was a bad idea to approach him and he should warn Anzu, he could not speak. Seeing that much rage in his double's eyes had rendered him immobile. Perhaps that in collaboration with the expenditure of energy kept him rooted to the spot. Anzu slowly pressed her hands to Atem's arm. "Strike Ninja..." She whispered, figuring that was the best way to address Atem's figure right now. "Please... calm down. If what Yomichi is true, you could kill Atem by remaining in there." Atem was unresponsive. "Please... you feel guilt for betraying his trust. Don't make it worse by killing him."

It was a tense moment before the glow in his eyes died and the symbol on his forehead faded. He stared at Anzu for a moment. "Anzu...? What the hell just...?" He suddenly cried out and his hands went to his chest, his body toppling foreward against Anzu's. Anzu awkwardly caught him, and looked to Yugi.

"Help!"

Yugi shook himself into motion, standing and pulling Atem into his arms to carry him inside. "Jonouchi-kun! Grab Honda-kun and get him inside!"

Jonouchi was still for a moment longer before he moved to respond.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Honda... Honda... Oy! Wake up, will you!"

Brown eyes flew open, greeted by the bright light of the ceiling fan in the guest bedroom. "What the...? Where am I?"

Jonouchi sighed. "About time you came around. You're in Yugi's house. We brought you in here after you collapsed."

Honda sat up, pushing the cloth that had been placed on his forehead onto the couch beneath him. "What happened? We won?"

Jonouchi raised an eyebrow. "Well, we're not dead. What do you think?"

Honda growled at him for a moment before he spotted the other unconscious figure settled on the guest bed. Or perhaps he was only half-unconscious. His hand clutched at his chest and a series of grunts and moans were escaping his lips at intervals. "Atem...? What the hell happened?"

Jonouchi looked back. "He just collapsed. It seems as if the Strike Ninja took him over or something after he fused with it, but we don't really know what happened."

Yugi nodded. "He said something about the Ka house being weak. Whatever that means."

"It means that my heart is feeble." Atem's voice drew attention to his fluttering amber eyes as they eventually opened.

Anzu leaned over him. "Mana told us your heart was weak, but I still don't understand. I thought the summoning and fusion was a matter of the soul and mind. What does your heart's physical condition have to do with anything? What happened back there?"

Atem sighed. "Most monsters, as you know, and like humans, have some measure of evil in them. In some it is stronger than others. For instance... Red Eyes Black Dragon and Blue Eyes White Dragon have quite a bit of bitterness and evil in them while Black Magician, and Black Magician Girl are two of the best and most dependable monsters there are. For the Strike Ninja... he apparently harbors a powerful hatred for those who created him to live such a miserable existance as a monster of the Dark Realm." He paused for a breath. "As for my heart... I told you that is where the Ka house is. When a fusion occurrs, enormous stress is placed on the Ka house depending on how strong the evil is in the monster you are fused with. That is one thing that makes fusion so difficult and dangerous. My heart is weak... the Ka house is weak... so the stress placed on me by the fusion was too much for my heart to bear and I eventually lost control of the Strike Ninja. He was easily able to overcome my will once my Ka house gave out."

"Wait. Your Ka house gave out? Doesn't that mean your heart gave out too?" Yugi inquired, his eyes filling with anxiety.

Atem shook his head. "No. Without the Ka house, the heart can still beat, but not for long. The Ka house and the heart work in a symbiotic relationship. In exchange for the power the Ka house supplies the heart, the heart gives the body's Ka a place to rest and be contained. If one fails... soon after the other will follow."

"But you're alright now, right?" Yugi inquired quickly.

Atem smiled weakly. "I'll be fine after some rest."

Anzu leaned over him again. "But what about your heart? It looks like it hurts. Is your heart going to be alright?"

Yugi grabbed his free hand. "I can give you energy if you need it."

Atem smiled again. "I appreciate it, Aibou. But energy alone is not enough. Once my Ka is retored, I will call out the Black Magician and I'm sure we can work something out."

"Like what?" Yugi inquired, retaining his hold on Atem's hand. He could feel Atem's soul siphoning energy away very slowly.

"Together, Mahado and I may be able to come up with a way to reinforce my heart using the Dark Realm's energy." Atem smiled at Yugi and pulled his hand away. "If I remember correctly, you performed two summonings today. Keep your energy to yourself."

Yugi chuckled. "But I want to help."

Atem shook his head. "Don't worry about me. Ka will restore itself slowly after a bit of rest. Conserve your energy... they may come back."

Yugi sighed but caved. "Alright."

* * *

Kitty-chan: Yay... I luff this chapter. Dunno why, but... I enjoyed writing it. It kinda was difficult to put all that information down in a logical way and in a sequence that makes sense, and to be honest, I don't know how sucessful I was. But... what the hell.. I tried. XD Okay... just a few traslations.

1. -sensei: Teacher  
2. -sama: A suffix added to show high respect ("master"; "lord")

Okay... preview. This one's rather easy...

* * *

_I'm subtraction by addition...  
And I'm a pretty bad magician...  
I haven't figured out my mission...  
Just another boy with blind ambition...

* * *

_Yeah... that's the preview. XD Next chapter is a song-fic chapter. It should be up soon. See ya!

Next Chapter:_Blind Ambition..._


	8. Blind Ambition! Jonouchi's Persistance!

Kitty-chan: I told you I had a lot to post! The wouldn't let me post for a bit. Anyway... I know I said it was somewhat unlikely that I would be using Blind Ambition in this story, but I couldn't resist. It was too perfect. XD Soo... yeah.

Disclaimer: I don't Own Yugi-oh. It is strictly the property of 4kids and... stuff. yeah. I own the San Oni and the plot.

Name translations since I'm too tired to goof around... .

**Name Translations**:  
Muto Yugi: Yugi Moto  
Katsuya Jonouchi: Joey Wheeler  
Hiroto Honda: Tristan Taylor  
Mazaki Anzu: Tea Gardener  
Ryuji Otogi: Duke Devlin  
Dinosaur Ryukazi: Rex Raptor  
Ishtar Maliku: Marik Ishtar

Stuff with (#) next to it is translated at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Jonouchi tossed his jacket over the sofa's back and wandered slowly into his bedroom, not bothering to stop in the kitchen. After the disturbing events, even his appetite was off. Pulling the Flame Swordsman card from his pocket, he collapsed heavily onto his bed, using his pillow to prop his head up slightly and stare at the car held in his outstretched arm."Damnit... why couldn't I do it?" He demanded of himself. "Honda summoned Gearfried, didn't he? So why couldn't I summon you?" He inquired of the card. "And once again, Yugi had to bail us out of trouble. Why can't I ever help us out?"

_I wanna change the world...  
I wanna find my pearl...  
I wanna be the one who in the end gets the pretty girl..._

He had to admit that he wasn't entirely useless. He had helped Yugi reach Pegusus in Duelist Kingdom, if only by losing. Though that thought didn't quite raise his spirits any. He thought to the next big chapter in his life. He had only caused trouble when he got involved with Otogi and got his butt kicked. Yugi once again had to come bail him out.

Next.

"Let's see... there was the time Keith stole Yugi's Sennen Puzzle... I helped there." Though he had to admit that he was a little late. By the time he and Honda broke the door down, the entire warehouse was in flames and Yugi had inhaled enough smoke to put him in the hospital for a full day and night.

Next.

Then there was Battle City. He had to admit that giving Yugi his Red Eyes Black Dragon was helpful. Of course... then he had gone and let his brain get taken over by Maliku, and nearly dragged Yugi down to the bottom of the ocean by attaching him to an anchor. Not to mention got his butt kicked in the finals and adding one more soul to the list of people Yugi placed on his own shoulders.

Next.

Then there was the Orichalcos issue. Come to think of it, he hadn't been all that present in that whole battle. After all... the only thing he seemed to do was beat Ryuzaki and then gotten his soul stolen in the end. Of course... he had protected Mai for a short time. He hadn't helped Yugi, but he had helped Mai... however short of a time that lasted.

_Don't wanna be outdone...  
I wanna be second to none...  
I wanna be the hero, not a zero to anyone..._

Jonouchi rolled onto his back giving a loud grunt of frusration. "Why can't I help anyone when they need it? For Kami's sake all I did even in Egypt was help make the Pharaoh's name appear and the other's could've done that alone!" He growled at the card. "Then when I finally get my hands on a way to really help people, I can't summon you!" He sat up, placing the card on the foot of his bed and staring at it, as if his eyes alone could summon the swordsman into existance. It always seemed that every time he had a chance to help, he was somehow pushed aside. He had no problem with honda sucessfully summoning Gearfried. It was good that he did (alright... he was a little jealous, but give the guy a break!). But if the two of them had realized their Dark Ka at pretty much the exact same time, why was Honda able to do it and he was not?

_I'm subtraction by addition...  
And I'm a pretty bad magician...  
I haven't figured out my mission...  
Just another boy with blind ambition..._

Katsuya Jonouchi spread the cards of his deck across the floor of his room, glancing at each one. "Well... assuming the stars on the cards which indicate their level also tell you how much energy it requires to summon them... maybe I can summon one of these smaller guys." He pulled Baby Dragon from the mess. "You worked in India... let's see if you can help me out now!" He looked at his hand. "Now... what did Atem do?" He prodded his own forehead with two fingers, the poked his upper left torso before pointing up with that hand, the other held high, the Baby Dragon card held within. "Come on, Baby Dragon!" Still, there was silence. Jonouchi put the card down and punched the floor. "I don't get it! What's wrong with me?"

_I wanna take the throne...  
And hog the microphone...  
I wanna sing the greatest record you will ever own..._

Jonouchi took a deep respiration, steadying himself. "Alright. If I want to do this, I need to focus. I need that Dark Ka stuff to do this, so maybe..." He crossed his legs and allowed his eyes to close, placing his hands over his heart. His mind turned inward, looking subconsciously for the power he needed. Perhaps it was his own desire to be of some use that guided his search, or maybe it was simply after getting the hang of the process earlier in Yugi's yard. Whichever it was, his concentration slithered about, searching all over for the Dark Ka, and passing by memories along the way. He saw himself stealing the puzzle box from Yugi... removing a piece, and throwing it out a window into a nearby stream. Moving even further back, he saw himself in middle school, his fists rampaging for the sake of his gang. Even after the gangs were cut he saw himself giving Anzu and Miho panty tanks, making him blush slightly. His face turned even redder as his mind wandered over the videos he used to watch. Shaking his head and coming out of his mind, he plunged his hand down and grabbed the Baby Dragon back off of he floor. "It had better work this time! Baby Dragon!"

_I wanna cure all ills...  
And have my face on a dollar bill...  
I wanna be the Zen master, not that fool up on the hill..._

He turned his concentration to his energy again, grabbing the Dark Ka created by the memories, and pushing it away from himself. But not into the room around him, it was as if some kind of portal had opened up inside his mind for the energy to go through. His mind focused fully on the card in his hand, he squinted his eyes and as he continued to feel nothing, his energy still snaking aimlessly about, he felt his eyes sting with warm water. "Come on... come on!" His energy gave a pulse shooting foreward in the realm with purpose now, and Jonouchi's eyes widened when he felt a small tug at the back of his mind. A monster had grabbed on! The monster tugged on the energy again, vaulting itself toward his mind and hopefully into the motral realm. "Now come out, Baby Dragon!"

_I want you to sign my petition...  
I'm turning up the road to pedition...  
I wanna be the new rendition...  
Just another boy with blind ambition..._

There was a loud crack, like that of thunder, and a brilliant flash blinded his smiling eyes. When it faded, a rather confused-loking dragon sat before him, its large blue eyes taking in the room, a small coo coming from its throat as usual. Jonouchi just stared at it for a long moment. It had worked? "It worked!" He shouted, throwing his arms around the dragon's neck. The dragon twitched slightly at the sudden contact, but once he realized who it was that was hugging him, he simply gave a toothy grin and nuzzled his head against him. Jonouchi backed up. "You remember me from India, don't you?" Baby Dragon, as usual, said nothing, but simply nuzzled against him again. Jonouchi chuckled and stood, the dragon following his movement with his eyes. "Alright! I've got it! And now that I know hw to summon, we're gonna help kick butt, aren't we?" Dragon simply stared at him for a few seconds before nodding enthusiastically. Poor creature had no idea why he was so excited to have simply summoned it, but he'd go with it.

_It's a feeling in me...  
It's a feeling in you...  
Everyone is trying to find their place and stake their claim..._

_I wanna take the throne...  
And hog the microphone...  
I wanna sing the greatest record you will ever own..._

Jonouchi plopped onto his bed. "Well... all that concentration made me tired. How about you?" Dragon just stared at him. "Oh right.. you're feeding off my energy." He lened foreward, elbows on his knees. "I wonder if I'd be able to summon Flame Swordsman or Red Eyes Black Dragon." At the mention of the latter, Dragon began wildly waving his small arms around, his tail slapping the floor and his large blue eyes dialated with panic. Jonouchi sat up a bit. "What's the matter with you?" Dragon sweatdropped and glanced down at the cards that littered the floor, soon discovering the Red Eyes Black Dragon card and holding it up, vigorously shaking his head back and forth. "Don't summon him? Why not? He and I are old friends." He thought back to India. True the Red Eyes Black dragon had turned into a mind-warping armor... but that was because of the blade imbedded in his neck, right...? He sighed and plucked the card from Dragon's awkward claws. Dragon continued to fix him witha pleading stare. His worry for his master's safety ran deep, but trying to communicate that through eyes and frantic waves of the tail and amrs wasn't uite getting the message across. Jonouchi shrugged and leaned back. "I suppose I could make Red Eyes Black Dragon a last resort if it worries you so much. Dragon sighed. It wasn't quite the message he was attempting, but it was close enough. "But I need a powerful monster... and one that my Ka house can control. I'd be worried sending you into battle against the San Oni..." Baby Dragon sweatdropped, somewhat offended by his remarks, but then clicked its tongue slightly, turning and sifting through the cards on the floor again. Jonouchi leaned foreward. "What are you doing?"

_I wanna change the world...  
I gotta gotta find my pearl...  
I wanna be the one who in the end gets the pretty girl..._

"Time Wizard?" Jonouchi read the card the small dragon held up. Jonouchi scratched his blonde head in confusion. "What are you talking about. Time Wizard is a weak monster. How could it stand up to the San Oni." Dragon's claw hit his own face in exhasperation. He pointed at himself, then at the card. Himself and the card. "You and the Time Wizard would... You mean Thousand Dragon?" Dragon leapt up and down a few times, a toothy grin on small face. "But wouldn't he be too powerful to control?" Baby Dragon shook his head, pointing at himself. "Jonouchi snapped his fingers. "Of course! It's you that'll turn into the Thousand Dragon, and so you'll know me! You won't turn on me, will you?" Dragon nuzzled his head against Jonouchi's leg slightly letting a growl-infested purr emerge from his throat. Jonouchi stood, picking up the Flame Swordsman and the Baby Dragon card. "Alright! I don't have enough energy to summon Flame Swordsman right now, but I bet that if I needed to, I could summon him. And besides! I might not even need him if Baby Dragon and Time Wizard are there!" Dragon nuzzled his leg again. "I'm gonna kick those San Oni butts next time we see them! You with me?" Baby Dragon let out an excited coo.

_But I'm subtraction by addition...  
And I'm a pretty bad magician...  
I'm waiting for an intermission...  
Just another boy with blind ambition..._

Dragon sent back to the Dark Realm, Jonouchi collapsed against his bed, staring up at the ceiling. "This is awesome... I can summon now. Not to mention I have a monster that'll remain loyal no matter how powerful it gets. Plus... if I can summon Red Eyes... maybe he'll remember me too." He held up the old Red Eyes Black Dragon card. "He should remember me... he and I were awesome in India." He sighed. "But he's so powerful. What if my Ka house is overwhelmed and I lose control? Of course... maybe that only happens during fusion." He rolled over onto his side, placing the cards by his head. "Ugh... too many questions... I'll ask Yugi and Atem about it tomorrow."

_I want you to sign my petition...  
I'm turning up the road to pedition...  
I wanna be the new rendition..._

"Hell, what am I worried about! I can summon now! Those San Oni are toast!"

_Just another boy with blind ambition...  
Just another boy with blind ambition...  
Just another boy with blind ambition..._

* * *

Kitty-chan: Yay! That chapter only took about thirty minutes to type... coooool. Anyway... hope you enjoyed, and there's nothing to translate, so on to the preview.

* * *

"Ka recovers rather slowly to a damaged soul... doesn't it?"

* * *

"You'll pay for hurting him!"

* * *

"Time to try this... and hope I don't lose my soul like Atem said..."

* * *

Okay that's all I can give you... Sorry. Stay tuned.

Next Chapter: _The Difference..._


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